Fighter
by Golden-Mist
Summary: Relena was raised to be a lady.Until now,she's never even thought of hitting back.But she knows better than anyone about change.
1. So Suck Your So Called Pity Down

Me no own GW. And here starts a complete redo of Fighter. Because I just came back to this story and realized that I kinda hate it. It won't be much different, just tweaked a little.

* * *

Relena was tired of waiting.

The clock beside her kept in time with the tapping of her. She could see Hilde watching her. Up and down, _up and down..._

It had been hours since the attempt on her life and try as he might, Milliardo couldn't blame Heero for the close call this time. He was protecting Sylvia and had technically saved her life, but his protection wasn't needed. Sylvia, a true Army brat, could take care of herself.

Relena, however, couldn't.

The voices inside the Preventer's conference room rose and fell. Arguing about her while she was sent out of the room like a child to be babysat by Hilde. One voice cut through the murmurs sharply. Recognizing it as Heero's and realizing once more how terribly she had failed him, Relena looked down, shamefaced.

"Don't do that," Hilde snapped from her seat across from Relena.

"I'm sorry," Relena said automatically. _Sorry, sorry_! She was so damn _sorry_! Her words of apology, of condolences and compromise that came to her so easily failed her now. She was hollow with excuses but couldn't find it in herself to want forgiveness from these people anymore. "I just can't believe this happened again. You think that people would stop trying once they realize the Gundam pilots are on my side."

_Are they really?_ The snide comment slid through her consciousness quick as lightning, a self-deprecation too slippery to hold onto but to real to let go.

Hilde glared at her. "This _wouldn't_ have happened if you didn't need to depend on Heero all the time to rescue you."

Relena stared at her. This girl used to be her best friend. Now at eighteen, the relationship had frayed, Hilde leaning more heavily on the other girls...Dorothy, Catherine, Noin, Sally...

They were only together when she was not there. The grand epic friendship created between all of them during the war was nothing more than a fairytale, nothing more than wishful thinking on her part again. _Will I ever stop living from dream to dream?_

Apparently, Relena had not yet wiped the shocked look from her face, for Hilde now looked dismayed.

"Relena, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that!" But, yes, of course she did. Relena knew Hilde, knew that she said what she thought and consequences be damned.

"What?" Duo said as exited the room, followed by the rest of Relena and Sylvia's guard. Hilde immediately stood up, facing Lady Une. Relena rose a little more slowly, catching a brief glance from Trowa, all concern and comfort laced with the bitter tinge of disappointment.

She wanted to scream. She had excelled in every area of her life except erasing the basic, fundamental damsel-in-distress instinct that made up every politician's daughter. They wanted her to be so much stronger than she actually was. They wanted her to get up on the pedestal they had placed so high above her. She was just a pretty bunch of expectations from them, not the person they had once treated her as.

Une was speaking in that careful steady voice that Relena hated so very much. "Relena, we've been going back and forth over this for several weeks now actually. You're a very high-profile person and the stands you take in the political arena means there will always be some sect out there who will want to bring you down."

Purely by accident or instinct, Relena's eyes flitted to find Heero. He was staring at her impassively and when her gaze met his, he flicked his head to Une. Relena clenched her fists and turned back to Une.

"We think it would be best if you learn some self-defense, first and foremost. We can hire the best trainers in the world. The next time this happens you can be prepared."

"But why can't you just teach me?" The words bubbled out before she could stop them. Her voice didn't sound right in the air they breathed, her former friends and allies. Une made a slight tilt of the head and Duo shifted on his feet. Quatre looked down at his feet, his own special brand of apprehension. She was saying something that in their world, this world they – the Gundam pilots and their girls – had created in which she was a much-loved guest, was very wrong.

She was outsider. She had no part in this. This _them. _When had this happened? When had all of this fractured from the beautiful fairy tale into _them_ and _she_?

"I'm not quite sure I understand what you're saying," Une said softly, earning her an incredulous glance from Milliardo.

Relena wasn't going to say it. She wasn't going to ask why they, who were supposed to be her best friends, weren't going to help her. She wouldn't grovel for their attention. She was Relena, Queen of the World.

So she took it like a queen.

She shook her head and agreed with Une's plan, said the proper lines, then excused herself, using her oft-used and never-question excuse of unfinished work. _Yes, of course __I'll be here tomorrow, Quatre. _He gave her a concerned look at her nonchalant answer to his query but did not ask. She couldn't think of the last time he had looked at her and asked how _she_ was doing.

She stared at all of them, standing together, one last time, and smiled. Smiled because she loved them and they were breaking her heart. Smiled because she was going to fix it. Even if she had to do it all by herself.

Heero frowned at her smile and straightened.

She turned gracefully, indicating no anger with body language, and walked of the Preventer building, out of her cage, her prison, out of _them_ and their lives.

She sat in her car for a full five minutes, more than enough time to formulate, to plan, to strategize and reason and be _so. damn. sorry_.

Heero entered and as per usual didn't say anything for most of the way home. They both stared straight forward, rigid in their seats.

_Once upon a time, there was a story-book girl and a little soldier boy who were best friends. _

"He could've killed you."

_And the girl loved the boy so much that she let it twist her life into a tangled mess._

She bit her lip. There was a peculiar burning behind her eyes.

_Then the girl grew up and the boy told her that she was no fairy tale princess and she never would be._

"Killed you with one finger."

_And that grown-up girl? Well she was just so very sorry, but she thought her heart was breaking. So she went away to fix it. And the little soldier boy never guessed she wasn't coming back. But that grown-up girl with all her happy endings ripped out never did._

_The end._

"_**STOP!" **_Relena yelled at car lurched, then continued smoothly. "Shut up, Heero, just shut up!" She wiped her eyes but there were no tears there.

"Why?" Heero questioned. "You need to hear deserve to hear this."

Relena snorted. "Do I really?"

"Yes," Heero said. She looked over at him. His hair had fallen over his eyes, head slumped down into one of his hands. Heero looked, in a word, vulnerable, and it made her furious.

How dare he feel unprotected, he, the one who was so cold and so hard and was still loved to a degree that Relena could never get?

The car rolled to a gentle stop and Heero reached for the door. For once in her life Relena was quicker than him and hit the 'Lock Doors' button.

"What are you-"

"So how did it feel?" She slid closer to him, her voice a hiss. "To see that I was actually human? That I could actually or falter? Did it hurt?" She was not even an inch away from him.

"Yes." The answer was so _real._ So much truth in one simple word. Heero, the one person she had always trusted to see her as more than a symbol, was the same as everyone else.

"I thought so."

She saw her hands reach up to stop her from bolting from the car, but she was already gone, blurring under his fingertips.

She could understand their need to educate her in self-defense. That was logical and perfectly sensible. And she would learn how to. But not under their watchful gaze. Not those who just see her as another expectation.

A sudden flash of the disappointment in Trowa's gaze rose up and Relena slammed the door behind her, desperate to put something in between her and the world outside. She wasn't real out there, not anymore, not to them, and they were the only ones who mattered.

The pictures soon scattered over the floor. Duo and Quatre, sandwiching her in a hug at her seventeenth birthday party. Hilde and she laughing at a completely plastered Catherine. Trowa, his arm slung around her shoulders while walking out of work. She and Heero in a rare moment of silliness, both hunched over with the force of their laughter. The photos spanned and catalogued the last three years of her life. Her eyes sparkled and laughed in the light of her friends.

The last picture she flipped to in her badly assembled scrapbook was taken a mere two months ago. A group shot of all of them. Hilde, Duo, Wufei, Sally, Quatre, Dorothy, Catherine, Trowa, herself, Heero, Milliardo, Noin. Relena stared at herself in the picture. Never had she seen eyes so silent.

A sudden banging on the door woke her from her reverie. Heero was shouting.

"Noventa's in trouble! I've sent for guards but it'll be a few minutes so stay-"

"I KNOW!" She screamed, and Heero fell silent. A muttered "Stay safe" flitted through the frame and then his pounding footsteps echoed away.

Her outburst robbed her of a few seconds, but her mind was already packing things away in her small suitcase. Soon her actions followed and Relena was racing down the stairs.

Pagan stood at the foot of the grand staircase, waiting. Relena slowed, her fingers loosening a little on the handle of the suitcase.

"Sylvia's not in trouble, is she?" Relena said softly, approaching him.

"No, miss," He said. "I just figured you could use some time away from Mr. Yuy." His gaze slid down to the baggage in her hand and his eyes widened under his bushy eyebrows. But Relena knew Pagan was not going to tell her to stay.

"Take care of the house." She said, grabbing her car keys.

"Yes, miss."

"I'll miss you, Pagan." She said truthfully, looking back at her butler, her friend, with tears in her eyes.

Pagan looked steadily back her. "As I,Relena." He gave her a quick hug. "I love you like a daughter, miss, always remember that. I shall be here waiting."

"I'll come back." Relena promised, then disappeared out the back door.

"I know." Pagan sighed to the silence.


	2. It's Not Like It Hurts That Much Anyway

Yay! It's the next chapter of **Fighter.**

Luv, luv, luv you reviewers:

**BlackAngelBlood:** Your review made me laugh so hard. It was this big long sentence and I could barely read it because I was snorting coke through my nose…whoops, overshare…anyway, I dedicate this chappie to you.

**Reignashii:** Yes I love Relena. She's my favorite character and she always seemed to have a bit of a kick-butt streak in her. Have a cookie.

**Keating's Disciple:** To you a resounding HECCCKKKKK YEAAH!

**darkfairy88:** so sorry about the mix up. I never planned on posting this story and so it's a little…fuzzy.

**crystal-gundam:** Gee! **blushes** Thanks.

**Faerax:** Thanks. A lot. No really!

Disclaimer: Uh…duh. No owning. Of the Wing Gundam. Yah,yah.

I have to say, as far as I know from this point there will be no extreme Sylvia hatin' since I don't remember her very well. If someone would send me a pic of her I'm sure it would trigger some long lost memories..

Now on with the show

* * *

_"I'll come back." Relena promised, then disappeared out the back door._

_"I know." Pagan sighed to the silence._

Three years later.

"You are not focusing!"

Relena bit back a retort as she looked at her master. It would do her no good to mouth off to Furuya. It never did any good.

"Your mind wanders, child. This will not assist you in any way in trying to defeat your opponent." Furuya scolded, watching Relena's stoic face closely.

Relena performed a reluctant bow. "I will try, sensei."

"No, child. It is useless. _You _are useless."

Even though her mind scream an extremely rude protest, Relena bowed again and laid down her katana that she had been practicing with. She exited the room with an air of one lost and injured.

Furuya sighed. Two and a half years ago the strange blonde girl had come here, alone, with no baggage. She had said that she had heard of him, of his prowess as a master of martial arts and self-defense, and wished to learn.

She had nothing to offer for these skills. Not even her name.

"_The world will long remember my name, but will forget me. I left it behind, so they can keep forgetting."_

This was her excuse, her alibi. Her memory.

So that is what he christened her. _Memory._

And with that, the deal was made. She gave him a name, he gave her the lessons. Each was met with a different emotion. He taught her mixed martial arts, how to handle both a katana and a gun, and how to disable an opponent with one finger. She met each with blind fury, excelling in all.

"_Do you expect very much of me?"_ She had asked him once.

"_I expect everything from you that you expect from yourself,"_ he had answered, a little bewildered by the tension that seemed to melt off of her as soon as he said that.

An odd pressure lay around Memory. A burden that seemed unnecessary, for half the time Memory herself didn't even seem real. She had all the presence of a fairy, the whispered nothings of a ghost. She blurred around the edges, there was no other way to phrase it.

But today was her twenty first birthday. As with her nineteenth and twentieth, her mind was on home and friends and family and the only one she had chosen to mention: _'Pagan'._

Furuya sighed again as he heard Memory's door slam. He reached into his robe and pulled out a wafer-thin sheet of paper. Thin, spidery script had scrawled one line across the sheet.

_It is time._

It was signed with the sign of Anarchy. Furuya stood.

It was Memory's twenty-first birthday, yes, so it was only proper to give her a gift, no?

He had a mission for her.

* * *

_I am not useless. Not useless not useless notnotnot!_

Relena repeated these words over in her head, a chant her to keep her from throwing every bloody knife in the place at her master. He couldn't dodge them all!

She was damn grateful to the man, she really was. He had taken her in for nothing, taught her everything she was supposed to learn so long ago for nothing, nothing at all. But he looked right through her when he spoke to her. Or worse, like she wasn't really there.

Her murderous and self-pitying thoughts were pushed aside as Furuya knocked on her door.

"Memory?" Furuya's muffled voice came through the thin bamboo door. "Are you…alright?"

Translation: _Have you broken any of my figurines yet?_

Those precious figurines…Relena looked over at said statues perched on her mantle. Out of a lack of any place to put them, Furuya had resigned to putting them in Relena's room, which was not a particularly smart idea, since the figurines were glass and her temper flared erratically. They were images of various animals, each with a different weapon and in a different pose of battle.

Scanning the row to make sure she didn't break any of them on accident, one caught her eyes. A cat, one-eyed and battle-scarred, holding a gun straight out in front of him with both hands, much as she had five years ago after the death of her father.

To any one else, the cat would be hilarious. It only brought Relena pain.

"I'm fine." She said, her eyes still on the gung-ho cat.

She heard a sigh of relief, and Furuya tugged open the door and strode into the room. His posture demonstrated purpose. Relena turned her full attention to the master sage.

"Happy birthday." He said. Relena nodded, staring up at him. With an embarrassed cough, he sat down across from her.

"You're twenty-one years old. Anywhere else this would be a huge celebration-" Relena cut him off with a glare. This was not anywhere else. This was _away_. Not _them_, just _she_.

"Well, I have a gift for you." Furuya finished, unable as always, to gage where's his pupil's mind was.

"Yes?"

Furuya stared at her for one long moment, then spoke. "I have a mission for you."

Relena knew that Furuya worked for a guild of some sorts. He was often sent away for bouts of time to complete missions sent to him. She once mentioned that she would relish the opportunity to try one herself, but she didn't think her sensei had paid her any attention. "A mission? Really?"

He held up a hand. "Memory, this mission is routine for the Legions, but dangerous nonetheless, so you cannot treat this as some fairy-tale adventure. You must go to the city, to the Preventers."

…_to the Preventers?_

_"This wouldn't of happened if you didn't have to depend on Heero all the time to rescue you." _

"_He could of killed you. Killed you with one finger."_

"_Shut up, Heero, just shut up!"_

Relena shook her head. "No."

Furuya said nothing, just regarded her for a moment. The change brought on in her was spectacular. Her face had drained of color, her hands loosed from their normal fisted position to scrabble uselessly at the floor.

Relena glanced at him another moment later, consideration and fear mingling. "Will I ever be near them?"

"No." Furuya said. "It is a stealth mission. Just steal some files for us. Me." By now, Relena was nodding slowly. As long as she didn't see them, as long as she didn't have to look at their faces, or breathe their suffocating air, she could do this.

"Tell me what I need to do."

* * *

As Relena slowly slid into her black suit, she remembered.

When Furuya said her mission was the Preventers, Relena had momentarily lost the iciness that encased her being, preventing her from feeling any sort of pain, remembered or present. She had worked so hard to stay away from them, to be free. And now to be sent back…

As she strapped on guns and knives, she remembered.

She remembered walking along the halls with Duo, laughing as he told her of all the crazy antics of his youth.

She remembered smiling at Quatre as he brought her some Oreos after a strenuous conference call.

She remembered bumping into Trowa time and time again, and he just picking her up and placing her on her feet, smiling slightly at her.

She remembered she and Wufei exchanging looks as Heero obsessed over mountains of names and numbers.

And most of all, she remembered Heero. There was no one memory to go with this, just the constant murmur of him in her head.

Just before she slid her mask on, the black mask with the sign for Anarchy on the back, a figure she had feared most of her life, Relena remembered that photo with their silent eyes.

Her resolve hardening, she slid the mask on.


	3. When I See You It Stings Like Hell

Okay, I'm listening to Jesse McCartney so this chapter may start off a little light-hearted. Sorry.

My loverly reviewers:

**Reignashii: **I think I read review just for yours. LOL, JOKING! I love all of y'all.

**Faerex:** Thanks. I try and remember this is angst, but the funnies keep biting back.

**heaven'sgirl:** It's okay. I remember now. Like, bolt of light! And hehehe…You'll just have to read.

**TheEvilAshleyness:** LOL. Here's your udpate.

**Computer geek michelle: **Oh, thanks. Well, here ya go!

Some things messed up last chapter, like no stars to separate my notes from the story and the flashback not being in bold. I hope you'll excuse me. Or rather, excuse Now on with story, shall we?

* * *

Scanning the blueprints of the Preventers building, she sighed. When she was Relena, she felt naively safe in there. Now, as Memory, she saw the place was no more protected than second-rate prisons scattered across the colonies.

_But I guess the Preventer building wasn't the reliable part, so much as the people inside it._

She sobered at thinking of the Preventers. They were her friends, they were her family. Her life.

But in the end, they made her cry every night, burrowing her face in the pillow so Heero wouldn't hear her. In the end, they made her stay in her office, wishing and praying that no one would come while at this same time dying to know they cared.

In the end, they made her run away.

Relena slipped a knife out of her boot and cut through the pressure sensitive window. Well, it used to be a pressure sensitive window. Not it was nothing so much as a bunch of wire and glass.

Cutting the final piece away, Relena hid the knife and pushed the pane inward, the quickly jumped through, twisting to catch the glass before it hit the ground.

Landing on the floor, Relena immediately placed the pane of glass in front of her, deflecting the red beams that laced the air. The Preventers would notice, but she'd be gone by then.

Long gone.

Finally reaching the door, Relena snapped a wire and rolled her eyes as the door readily slid open for her. Morons.

Still, she couldn't help but feeling uneasy. It was too easy. But the hallway leading to her objective was clear, and she had no problem with the lack of obstacles.

She was about to round the corner when voices stopped her. She glanced up, and, seeing familiar empty spaces and air vents, jumped up, swinging herself onto a beam.

She crept forward, the voices getting increasingly louder. Something vaguely like familiarity was stirring in the back of her head, but she shook it off. She needed to focus.

She finally reached her destination, but something was blocking it. Or, someone. Two someones.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay, Hilde?"

"No, I'll be fine, Duo, get outta here."

Relena stared down at them, horrified. This was all wrong, no one should be here! Especially not them.

Suddenly she felt the strong urge to cry as Duo kissed Hilde goodbye and she hugged him. Watching them, being this close to them, was torture. Duo and Hilde had always been everything she wanted, love and understanding and a history that each understood completely. She always felt so alive but so alone with them, when she was Relena.

But she wasn't Relena anymore. She destroyed that girl a long time ago.

Now she glared down at the couple. _**They **_destroyed her.

"So, I'll see you later. You sure-"

"Goodbye, Duo!"

Duo raised his hands in surrender, smiling, and disappeared around a corner. Relena watched him go, wishing she could hug him, too.

_Fight the feeling, Lena. You were sent here to get in, get out, no slip-ups._

Relena turned her head to gaze down at Hilde, who was surveying the area. Her normally vibrant blue eyes were cold and calculating. Could she…?

Yes, of course she could.

Relena seized the bar beneath her and swung herself down, only inches from Hilde.

"Boo."

Hilde, who had her back turned, uttered a small scream, the grabbed her gun, whirling around.

Grabbing Hilde's hand and twisting it sharply, Relena grinned as the gun clattered to the floor. "Now, now. You wouldn't want anyone getting hurt, would you?"

Hilde's response was a fist in the masked girl's stomach. Relena's grinned disappeared and she back away, clutching her waist. She looked up at Hilde, who stared back, sliding back into a crouch.

"Nice." Relena whispered, just before spinning around and landing a kick across Hilde's face. The girl staggered back. Relena took the opportunity, launching a barrage of kicks and punches.

After sinking her knee into Hilde's stomach, she felt a hand grab her wrist, painfully bending it backwards. She bit back a whimper as Hilde slowly bent her backwards, her hand under constant pressure.

"Who do you work for?" Hilde hissed. Getting no response from the masked person, she bent the wrist she was holding a little more, hearing some bones grind.

"What do want!"

Silence. Relena bit her tongue in an effort to keep back a scream.

"_Who are you?!_"

At this, Relena allowed herself a small smile. She raised her leg and sunk her boot into Hilde's left cheek.

"I'm a memory, Hilde."

Hilde, nose bleeding, stared up at her. "How do you know my name?"

"The same way I know your boyfriend's name is Duo." Relena replied. "You Preventers have a spectacularly awful security system. And your operatives…" She aimed a kick at Hilde's left shoulder. "Well, they're just plain lazy."

"What do you want?" Hilde sobbed, rubbing her shoulder that, from the looks of it, Relena had dislocated.

The figure in black sent her a hateful glare she could feel even through the mesh of the mask. "I just wanted you to know what it feels like to be helpless."

Relena circled Hilde, who was in too much pain to move. "So how does it feel, Hilde? You have to tell me? How does it feel to know that I could've killed you?"

…_killed you with one finger._

Hilde let out a hoarse laugh. "But you're not going to."

"No, I'm not," Relena decided. "Besides, there are worse things than death."

With that, she reached to Hilde's neck a touched a pressure point. Hilde slid to floor, unconscious.

Looking down at the pitiful form, Relena noticed something glittering on her hand.

_An engagement ring. Well, well, well, she forgot to mention that._

Bending down, she slid the gorgeous ring of her best friend's finger and placed it in a pocket.

The real prize that night was not the files.

_**Furuya**_

"I got them." Memory threw a few large files in front of Furuya, pulling off her mask. Furuya glanced up at her.

"Any problems?" He inquired.

"…No."

He gazed at her suspiciously. "Did you look at them?"

"No." She said forcefully.

"Then that is all." He dismissed her. She bowed, and left.

Heading down the hall, Furuya heard Memory's door slam for the second time that day.

In her room, Relena fingered a chain around her neck. It was a birthday present from Quatre, at her sweet sixteen. A diamond angel once hung on it, but Relena had ripped it off. She didn't believe in angels. Not anymore.

She undid the clasp and slid Hilde's ring on it. The amethyst stone caught the light of the small candle Relena had lit, glittering as it settled on her collarbone.

The young girl stared at it a long moment before bursting into tears.

_**Preventers**_

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine. Just a broken nose and a dislocated shoulder."_

"_Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. I shoulda stayed with you."_

"_It's not your fault, Duo."_

"_Did you identify the person, Hilde?"_

"_No. But it was a girl, Heero. I know that barely helps, but still."_

"_Did she speak?"_

"_Yes. She knew mine and Duo's name. She said…she said she was just a memory."_

"_Anything else?"_

"_She told me that we Preventers were lazy, and that she wanted us to know how it felt to be helpless. She told me there were things than death."_

"_Sounds a lot like Wufei."_

"_Do you want to keep that ridiculous braid of yours, Maxwell?"_

"_Quiet, Wufei. Duo, stop teasing him. Hilde's trying to help us out."_

"_Thanks, Quatre. After that, she hit my neck and I was out."_

"_Pressure points. She must've been behind you."_

"_Right as always, Perfect Soldier."_

"……"

"_Hilde, you look like your puppy died. Cheer up, it doesn't matter that some unknown girl with a death fixation beat you to a pulp."_

"_No, that's not it. Duo, she stole my…our...she stole the engagement ring."_

"_What!"_

"_Why would she want that? She came in and stole some files on Relena. What would she want with a ring?"_

"_I dunno, Quatre. Maybe a personal vendetta."_

"_Hilde, do you know anyone that has something against you?"_

"_No, Trowa, not that I know of."_

"_Duo…"_

"_What are you all looking at me for? Everybody who hates me is dead."_

"_Maybe the onna is just greedy."_

"_We don't rule anything out. We need to find out who this girl is, and what she wanted with Relena's files. Immediately. And when we find her…she will pay."_


	4. Stockpiled Millions of My Memories

Weeheheeee! I'm am so super hyper! Also listening to old Backstreet Boys songs. Yay me!

Okay, on to the reviews:

**Faerex: **I know! I had a hard time writing it. Cos I love Duo. And Hilde. Whatever.

**Computer geek michelle:** Thanks ever so!

**Reignashii:** ….0.0 You are scary! Kidding, LOL. You'll just have to wait and see! evil laugh

**gundamgirl818: **HECK YA!

**heaven'sgirl: **I mean, you're totally right. She couldn't stay that way and she never really was. But she always had to the Gundam pilots there to protect her, and now she's all alone.

**PhantasyDreamer:** I'm trying, I truly am. But getting chapters longer than they are, is so hard. But thanks for the review.

**glittering-paws:** Haha. Thanks.

**Pureevil230:** again, HECK YA!

_Aren't y'all proud? I've got nothing to say to you! I didn't mess up!_

* * *

Furuya stared at the low table that was fitted against he opposite wall of his dojo. On it laid the files that Memory had given him.

Whoever this person was…Furuya would have to kill them. It didn't matter who they were. If they were a child, if they were a parent, if they were baby breathing their first, it didn't matter. They all had to die.

His bones creaked as he stood, groaned as he walked, anything to keep him from opening that person's doom. He ignored the both mental and physical protests and collapsed beside the table.

This was the worst part, besides murdering them. Opening the files that would ultimately seal their fate.

With an unsteady hand the manilla folder flipped over. Furuya slipped a hand into his sleeve and emerged with glass. He put them on and started to read.

Relena Darlian Peacecraft, Age: 20, Hair/Eyes: Blonde/Blue…

_**Relena**_

Relena was no longer cooped in her room, curled around the hand holding the ring, shaking, trying not to sob.

But the sobs still shook her, even now, on that grassy plain surrounding Furuya's house and training area. She flicked the brilliant ring on it's chain, her eyes following it relentless path.

The wind swept around her, but she could not feel it. Her thoughts were trained only on the swinging gem. But as her eyes flicked up to the chain it was on, she thought of the angel charm and Quatre, and finally the sobs won as tears overcame her.

_**Dojo**_

Furuya flicked another page. He rather pitied this Relena. She was forced into the position of Queen of the World at 15 and became Vice Foreign Minister in the same year, when her reign was overthrown. She was loved by all, but from the Contacts page, had very few friends. Only mentioned were her mother, and a butler named Pagan-which all butlers must be called because Memory had mentioned a Pagan also.

As he turned the last page, his breath came short. There, a glossy headshot of-

"Hey, Furuya, you in here?" Memory came storming into the small house. "I need some novaculite for my katana, it's gotten rather dull."

She remembered herself enough to stop at the door, noticing her master's stiff position. He was staring down at something, his mouth slightly ajar, his breathing coming in large gasps.

"Memory_."_ He croaked, flicking the smiling picture of Relena Dorlian Peacecraft –_Memory- _over. He swiveled in the silk robes he had chosen for today and probably the day after so he was facing his dear pupil.

"How was your walk?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Memory watched him warily, nodding.

"It was…refreshing."

He noticed something glittering around her neck. "Ah, I see you picked up a trinket along the way."

Memory glared, clutching the necklace.

"Regardless." Furuya continued. "I have another mission for you."

Memory looked increasingly weary. "Preventers again?"

"I'm afraid not. World Alliance Edifice."

Memory nodded, but inside, she panicked. The World Alliance was something set up when she was seventeen, actually on her birthday as a special honor. It was purely a peacemaking business. The World Alliance Edifice was it's main operative building. It's where her old files were kept.

"Mission accepted."

_**Preventers**_

"Hey, Trowa." Duo caught his shadowy friend by the shoulder.

"Hello, Duo. How's Hilde?"

"She's fine, but she under a lotta stress, losing the ring and her arm's in a lotta pain after that Deathwish lady dislocated…D'you think you could cover my shift tonight?" He looked up a Trowa with puppy dog eyes. Trowa permitted himself a small smile at the sight.

"Of course I can. You're at the Preventers', I assume?"

"You assume wrong, Gifted Boy."

"Oh, dear me. I do believe my record's slipping. Where am I?"

"WAE. I dunno how they even keep that place up and running ever since our Princess left." Duo shook his head. He couldn't help mention Relena, it was her foundation. But now he couldn't even call her by her name.

"Duo…" Trowa said slowly. "It's okay. I miss her, too."

For the first time in three years, there was emotion behind the green-eyed soldier's voice.

_**World Alliance Edifice**_

If Relena would've known that the Edifice had this bad of security, she would've let it burn a long time ago. She had reached the archives in ten minutes. Just as Furuya told her, the files were in a blue folder, fifth cabinet, second down.

"Cake." Relena joked. She pulled her heavy braid out of it's twist underneath her mask, noting it needed a trim. Since Furuya loathed the cutting of hair, her's was well past her waist was streaked from the sun. She sighed with relief. It was bloody hot in the Edifice.

"Nice hair. Bit long for a fighter." She spun towards the voice.

"Tr-Tro-" She sputtered. Trowa Barton barred the door way, his green eyes conveying absolute and instant hate.

"So you can fight put you can't speak. Interesting." She winced as Trowa's words cut into her.

"Back off!" She spat out. That put Trowa off for a minute, but he quickly recovered.

"Call me Triton."

Relena fought back her surprise. Triton was Trowa's true name, to just give it away like that was very…well, not-Trowa like.

"Now I'll ask you once and don't tend to repeat myself. What are you doing with Relena Peacecraft's files?"

* * *

**Ok, how'd y'all like it? Trowa's fun. To write, I mean.**

**Anyway, I will give y'all cookies IF! you can answer this question:**

**What does the word 'Noventa' mean?**

* * *


	5. Love It Or Leave It Or Rip It Apart

Hey guys! Y'all ready for the next installment of FIIIIIIGHHHHTERRRR? *TRL scream*

Reviews:

**Pureevil230: **You'll just have to find out! Though I don't think this chapter has much of old Furu.

**TheEvilAshleyness: **You're about to find out! Ya ready? Think ya can handle this? Nah, just kidding with you…mostly.

**Faerex: **I take it you like Trowa. Cause if you do, so cool! He's my favorite guy! Well, besides Duo, but who doesn't love Duo?

**gundamgirl818: **It's mostly explained in earlier chapters, except for the scar, but I am going to elaborate, so it'll probably make more sense. And I know, I hate cliffies too. Way too much fun to write.

**Crazy4Cocopuffs: **Actually, it's more symbolic then proving a point. Relena was kind of hurt by it. But thanks for the review and the semi-mini flame.

**Reignashii: **My one-sentence wonder! All your suspicions will be answered! Soon enough! Well, as soon as I can get past the reviews. Thank you!

**heaven'sgirl: **Well, I'll give you a chocolate chip. In fact, all of y'all get chocolate chips.

**Taraneh: **Typing that much is difficult, though in my other story I've gotten the hang of it. So I'll try, but I'm not promising anything for Fighter, because all planned out in my head, it's rather complicated.

**Firefly-chan: **Thanks! I feel like a magazine or something, with that feedback stuff.

**To KageOkami-Kogo who gets half a cookie:** You were right, noventa is a Spanish number word, but it means ninety, not twenty. Good try though! I'll have another question for y'all at the end of the chapter.

* * *

"_Now I'll ask you once and don't tend to repeat myself. What are you doing with Relena Peacecraft's files?"_

Relena stared down at the files in her hands with shock written over her face, though Trowa couldn't see it through her mask. She raised her stare to the green-eyed soldier standing at the door with the death-glare on his face and crushed the files in her fist.

"What are you talking about?" She spat, not believing that he could be telling the truth, that Furuya had been assigning her to steal her own files.

At the girl's question, Trowa concealed his surprise. "Don't know what you're stealing? That's-"

"Stupid?" asked Relena, back to staring at the crumpled pages, the endless photos. She edged closer to the air vent she had been eyeing ever since Trowa entered the dim room.

"Pathetic," Trowa corrected. The blonde girl snorted, surreptitiously stepping ever closer to her freedom. Trowa continued. "Where are you going, Nanashi?"

At this the girl halted, smiling cruelly. "Nanashi? No, that would be your name." She abruptly reached inside her sleeve and Trowa had barely time for thought as he flung himself away.

Just as a dagger buried itself to the hilt in the metal door behind him.

Trowa lay on the floor, gazing up at that dagger, the little insignia carved near the top ringing bells in his head.

_Furuya,_ he thought. _Zuko Furuya._

_Anarchy._

And this girl…_she's knows I was once called Nanashi. The only person I ever told that to…well, she disappeared. This girl must be Zuko's pupil, sent to destroy Relena._

This made him laugh. The girl held up another dagger. "What's so funny, _Triton_?"

"You stupid girl. Run home to your master and tell him Relena's dead. You'll have no need of those," He pointed to the files in the blonde's hands, hearing her stifle a gasp.

"What are you talking about?" Relena said again, throroughly confused. Trowa smirked.

"Usually Zuko Furuya's students are smart. You must be an exception."

"How did you-"

"His sign," Trowa tapped the dagger's hilt before grabbing it and ripping it out of the wall. "The mark of Anarchy."

He put the dagger in front of him just as the girl ran at him, parrying her blow. The girl leaped back.

"What would sensei-Furuya-want with that princess's files?" Relena gasped.

Trowa stopped, balancing the blade on his finger. "To kill her, of course."

All of the sudden, the girl stopped dead, leaving her open. Trowa slashed her arm and she came alive, kicking his wrist. His blade skittered across the floor(Relena had dropped her own as the cut slashed several nerves.). The woman came in for another kick, but Trowa caught her foot, twisting it and sending her to the floor with a thud.

Relena tried to accept this all at once. Her trusted master, now turned her own personal killer, fighting Trowa, throwing a _dagger_ at him…

How could this happen to her? Why couldn't anything just be sane and simple for once? Relena fought off a wave of exhaustion and tears and took a deep breath.

To Hell with it.

She swung her uninjured leg, screwing up Trowa's footing. As he tried to regain his ground, Relena hurled herself onto her feet and into him, landing a jab. She tried to kick again, but Trowa's foot met her back and she fell to her knees.

The files now lay abandoned at the edge of the cabinets. She stared at them miserably as Trowa grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back, holding her close.

"Who are you, spy?" He hissed in her ear. The girl wriggled against him, whimpering as she strained her arm.

"Is this what you did to Hilde? Played with her and damaged her before taking her engagement ring?" He said. Relena, at a loss for anything else, kicked his shins. Trowa loosened his hold with an uncharacteristic yelp and Relena spun away.

"I'm absolutely nothing, and positively everything, Triton, merely a memory."

Trowa glared at her, aiming a kick across her face. The blonde staggered away, thankful for the slight padding that protected her cheekbones. She fought back, jabbing at his left eye. He grabbed her wrist and bent it back, only relinquishing his grip when Relena flipped, kneeing him in the chin.

But they were now exactly where Trowa wanted them. He was sporting quite a few bruises, and the girl was bleeding freely from the cut on her arm. The soldier performed a back-hand spring, landing beside his-the girl's-discarded dagger. He lunged forward, catching the girl off guard and placing the blade at her neck.

"Your master," He began, voice throaty from where Relena had kneed him. "sent you to gather everything you could about Relena, so he could kill her easily. Well tell him he's about three years late. She's gone now, and nothing Anarchy can do will bring her back." He saw something glint behind the mesh of where the girl's eyes would be.

"Oh, Trowa," She whispered. His eyes widened, not remembering telling her that, before the girl drove another dagger, tiny and nimble this time, straight through his hand.

He cried out, dropping the blade. Relena turned to leave, but Trowa was not done yet. Meaning to grab her hair, he instead grabbed the back of her mask.

Relena's mask was mainly just fabric, meant to conceal and nothing more. So when Trowa gripped in and tugged, it tore, cleanly in two. Trowa stood shocked, the back of the mask dangling in his head, as he stared down at the girl.

Her inertia and Trowa's movements had caused her to trip, sprawling on the ground, half of her face exposed.

It was all Trowa needed.

Smooth, creamy alabaster skin and cerulean blue eyes with tears leaking of the corner, slightly shadowed by honey-blonde hair.

"Relena…" Trowa said softly. Relena flinched, her hand flying to her face. She whimpered as it met skin and not fabric, and raised herself, turning to face her opponent.

Her friend…

She stared back at the soldier as he scanned her. "You're dead," He deadpanned. Relena let out a harsh bark of laughter.

"Quite." She said bitterly. As Trowa stared at her hopefully, she stepped back. "Stay away from me!"

"Relena…" She backed away further, anything to get away from him, finally drawing her favorite weapon.

A gun.

Trowa stared at it, wondering why the hell Relena was carrying this, as she spoke. "If you come near me, I'll kill you. I swear, Trowa. If you tell anyone that I'm alive, or what I am…I'll kill Quatre."

"You wouldn't."

"Do you honestly want to risk that?"

Trowa remained silent.

"My name is not Relena. You were right, Tro, she died three years ago. My name is Memory. I am the single pupil of Zuko Furuya."

"Furuya wants to kill you, Relena."

"My name is not Relena!" She shouted, cool slipping away for one futile moment.

"Yes it is. Your name is Relena Peacecraft. You are the leading monarch of the Sanq kingdom, and former Vice Foreign Minister. You have a brother named Milliardo and a niece named Carly-"

"I have a niece?" Relena said, dazed. She was starting to weaken.

"Yes, and she looks exactly like her mother, including the purple hair. But if you leave, Princess, Zuko will kill you. You are his job."

Her eyes narrowed. Relena tore herself away. "Whatever, Trowa. You don't know a thing about me. Relena is gone."

"_No_. You are still the same girl who ran into me every day, you are still the girl that brought peace to the world, and you are still the same spoiled Princess who loves Heero!"

At this, Trowa knew he lost her. Relena looked horribly vulnerable for a moment before reaching and ripping the dagger out of his hand, causing new waves of pain. She laughed, dropping the blade, Trowa's blood spattering her boots.

"You just don't get it, do you Trowa? This is Heero's fault. I'm Memory because it's who I am, not who I became. I left Relena back at the Preventer's station and I haven't looked back. And I never will. Look at you, Tro! You just don't get it!" She shoved him, hard, sending him sprawling. She stared down at him before sprinting over to the air vent and disappearing inside.

* * *

Leagues away, Heero carefully loaded his gun. The Preventers had been after Anarchy for years, and so far all they could get were his henchmen. Good enough for him. Just another obstacle.

The old man was…polishing animal figurines, it looked like. Heero didn't have time to contemplate the utter bizarreness of this. He had a mission.

He placed the gun to his eye, taking careful aim. It was all or nothing. Finding his mark, Heero fired.

"Mission completed."

* * *

Relena wanted to stay here forever. The plains outside Furuya's dojo were quiet and peaceful. Best of all, the high grass was an excellent hiding place and muffled all the noises…even if they were sobs.

She supposed though, she needed to return to Furuya, tell him she knew the truth. That she knew everything. She dutifully rose and started to trudge up to the house.

She was near the edge when she heard a motorcycle rev up. She instinctively dropped to the ground and crawled to the edge. The sight that greeted her froze her heart.

Heero Yuy sat on a sleek bike, starting to lower a helmet over his unruly hair, still messy at twenty-one years of age. But what scared her even more, if even possible, was the sight of the gun hanging at his side.

* * *

Trowa glared at Quatre as the platinum blond wrapped his hand. "It's fine." Quatre snorted in response and pulled it even tighter.

He paused though, hearing a motorbike pass by and die down. "Heero's back."

Trowa stayed silent, thinking back on Relena's words. It was all Heero's fault….

Said soldier entered the infirmary, Wufei and Duo, bickering as always, is close pursuit.

"Another attack?" Heero said, just as Duo asked "Whoa, you ok, Tro?"

Trowa nodded to both their questions. "Apparently, the Edifice is just as important as the next building with files."

Duo scratched his head. "Man, this is all my fault."

Once again, Relena's words echoed in his head, and he glanced over at Heero, who was shaking his head.

"Don't blame yourself, Maxwell."

"Where were you?" Trowa asked the Perfect Soldier sharply. The man stared at him.

"I had a mission."

* * *

"Furuya?" Relena called out to an empty house, the smell of death rotten throughout it. "Sensei?"

She headed to her room. Furuya was probably waxing his statues or something. But as she rounded the door jamb her thoughts were spattered across the wall with her master's blood.

Relena collapsed to the floor beside the body of her sensei, quietly gripping his hand. He was dead. A bullet to his head had killed him before he hit the floor. Relena rocked herself back and forth, staring in the face of her would-be killer.

Would he of killed her? Would he have looked her in the eye and pulled the trigger?

Could he?

Relena didn't know. She didn't know anything.

And she never had.

* * *

"I had a mission. I just got back." Heero said shortly. Duo now looked interested.

"A _mission_. And you didn't bring me along?"

Wufei rolled his eyes. "It required stealth, Maxwell." The Asian man looked Trowa in the eye. "We finally tracked down one of Anarchy's henchmen, down in the Avian Plains." He now turned to Heero. "Did you kill him?"

"Affirmative. Zuko Furuya is dead."

* * *

**So did y'all like it? **

**Oh, here's y'alls' question:**

**What does the word 'Treize' mean?**


	6. Dream Of Demons While You Sleep

Hey guys, new chappie of FIIIIIIGHHHHTTTTEEEERRR!

Yay!

Reviews to my reviewers:

**crystal-gundam: **I know, I feel like the writer of a soap opera. And when she threatened to kill Trowa and/or Quatre, you have to understand how terrified she must've been.

**Computer geek michelle: **I'm glad. But be warned, this may be the last chapter you get in a while.

**Pureevil230: **Hehehe. You're the one who always guesses and I get to do the evil laugh to.

**Faerex: **Ah, where would I be without you, my gracious reviewer. And yes I know Trowa is TEH AWESOME! Couples….hmm, I dunno. It says Heero/Relena on the thing and won't let me switch, but who gives a flip.

**Teka1000: **Nice, I'll have to check that out.

**heaven'sgirl: **You're welcome. And yes, that was my favorite line, too.

**rockerchick224: **It didn't sound corny at all! I loved your review, you like, the first person to ever say that.

**Reignashii: **Hahaha! OMG! Those 'no no no's at the beginning cracked me up. You are the coolest!

**TheEvilAshleyness: **OMFG guess what? I did, squeals

**PhantasyDreamer: **EEK! Sorry! Wasn't supposed to be confusing! But I'm super glad you gave me this review (Ok, time to admit it, I am way hyper! I just published a new story.)

**kaze: **Thanks ever so!

**Becca: **Thanks! It's so great to get unsigned review, cause I just figured out that I was blocking them!

**Caggie: **So is your review!

Okay, here we are: **Caggie, heaven'sgirl, Teka1000, crystal-gundam **all get a **COOKIES! **The answer to last weeks question was **Thirteen. Treize Kushrinada's first name is French for THIRTEEN! YAY Y'ALL!**

**And now, for the story!**

"_Zuko Furuya is dead."_

The five former gundam pilots stood still in that moment as Heero relayed his report. Trowa was the first to get his voice back.

"What!"

Heero looked over in surprise. "I said Zuko. Furuya. Is. Dead. I thought you of all people would be pleased by this."

"I am, I am." Trowa muttered as Quatre pushed him down into a chair. The platinum blond smiled at him before turning to Heero.

"Who gave you the order to assassinate him?"

Heero snorted. "Nobody."

Trowa and Quatre glanced at each other fearfully. Heero watched this exchange, eyes narrowing to slits.

"He's a follower of Anarchy. I don't think I need an excuse to kill him."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, buddy, that's great and all," Duo said, slinging his arm around Heero's shoulders. "But now you have to go run it by Zechs. Well not really, since the deed's done…more like run it _over_ Zechs."

A scowl marred the Perfect Soldier face but he nodded. Duo grinned, glad he had calmed the former pilot down, before taking his arm and dragging him out the room.

Trowa stared at the door. "Quatre, I am fine." Quatre, who had been fussing with his bandages, blushed sheepishly and backed out of the room.

Trowa shook himself. Furuya was dead. And last time he had seen Relena, she was jumping up an airvent. Had she returned? Had she seen Heero? _I've got to find her, I've got to get to her before-_

"So what's your malfunction?"

The green-eyed boy started, glancing around. Wufei stood to his left, leaning against the window. Sunlight shined through behind him, throwing his black hair into an odd contrast.

"What are you talking about?"

"You look like you lost your puppy. And then found out it was brutally murdered by a pack of wild dogs."

Trowa blinked. "Oh…kay….huh?"

Wufei glared at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Trowa said, casting his gaze to the floor. "I can't believe he killed him."

Wufei snorted. "Heero has gone off and killed random people before, and it didn't bother you then. You can't tell me it does now."

Trowa shook his head. "I knew that man, Wufei."

"And? Knowing who those people are hasn't changed anything. _You've_ killed people you knew before."

The stoic boy looked up at him for a moment, then returned his stare to the floor. Wufei continued his tyrade.

"No, it's something else this time. You've been this way ever since you fought with that psycho onna." Seeing Trowa's startled look, he widened his eyes. "You know who she is? Has this got something to do with her?"

Trowa's started to shake his head vehemently, but when Wufei pulled the mask, which he had stuff in his back pocket, away from him, he stopped and stood up.

"I have something to tell you."

_"Finally!"_

* * *

Relena opened her eyes. _Ugh._

She hadn't slept well. Some weird nightmare about tritons and Furuya with a hole in his head.

Wiping her eyes, she rolled over, ready for some tea.

There lay Furuya, flies hovering over his head.

Relena screamed, scrambling backwards until she hit the mantle. Above her the cat figurines shuddered.

Oh God. She remembered now. Trowa. The fight. Heero. _Furuya._

He was dead. Heero had killed him. All the sudden Relena felt tears biting at her eyes. The feeling of aloneness crept over her and darkness fell before her sight before keeling over in a dead faint.

((Relena's Dream))

_She sat alone in the bar, so alone and afraid? What was she doing here? She wasn't even old enough to be in here. She surreptitiously glanced around her and shrugged. Not like any of these bums would care anyway._

_Two seats away, an obnoxious man preached to his cronies. "Now the way I see it, them Preventers is up to sumtin. Can we say weapons o' mass destruction?"_

_Relena tried not to snort and buried her nose farther into her glass of Perrier. The man continued, his voice rising._

"_I mean c'mon. Two whole buildings devoted to a hunnerd workers. What do they need with all that space." The thugs grunted their agreement. "And God knows that Relena Peacecraft is at the top. That bitch has been brainwashing the public for years."_

_Relena, just taking a sip, tried not to choke. She began to cough violently as her water slipped down her throat._

"_Hey, lady, you okay?" Oh God. It was Reverend Mass-Destruction, coming to help her out. She so did not need this. The man helped her out, then dropped her hand when he stared her in the face when he realized who she was. _

"_Well, well. If it isn't the Princess herself."_

_The cronies laughter filled her head as she shielded her face. "No!"_

"No!"

Relena woke with a start, again staring at Furuya's prone body. A motor was revving outside. She scrambled past the corpse, grabbing her revolver off the cabinet and stuffing it in the back of her jeans, before running outside. She had just exited the house before something caught her wrists.

"Relena!"

"_Trowa?"_

Relena looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing here?" Now, seeing Trowa, everything began to catch up with her. Tears brimmed at her eyes.

Not noticing, Trowa gripped her arms. "Relena, you've got to get out of this place. The Preventers are going to burn it to the ground."

"_What!"_

"Heero wasn't supposed to kill Furuya, he wasn't assigned to him. The Preventers can't have people suspicious of them, now that you're not there to support it."

"Burn it?" Relena looked over her shoulder, incredulous. "You can't burn it."

Trowa watched stoically as tears spilled over her eyes as she gazed at the house. "We have to."

She whipped around to face him. "You _can't_. Everything I am is in there."

"That isn't true." Trowa's voice was cold. "You left a life behind, Relena. You can return to it anytime you want."

Relena looked at him. "Are you dumb?"

"What?"

"Didn't you hear me before. I said I **_destroyed _**that girl. Or rather, you did." Relena hissed. Then her eyes widened and she backed away from Trowa. "I also said that if you **ever** came near me again, I'd kill you."

"Relena-"

"No!" She pulled out the gun and pointed at him and first time, the soldier looked scared.

"Relena, put it down, please-"

"Relena?"

Said girl turned slowly. She knew that voice, hard and clipped with the lovely Asian accent. "Wufei?" she shook her head stupidly, lowering the gun.

Wufei stared at her as if afraid she would disappear. "Hey, Princess."

Relena gazed at him, then raised the gun. "What is he doing here?"

"Because he figured it out. And he wanted to see you. I thought you might enjoy seeing him." Trowa tried to reason with her, but she continued to stare at Wufei as though planning his demise.

She turned to Trowa. Her voice was low and broken, barely above a whisper. "Well you thought wrong."

"Relena!" Wufei started, taking a step forward.

"Don't! Don't you dare come close to me and pretend you missed me! Get away from me." She hit Trowa across the face, sending him sprawling across the ground.

"And tell Heero if he **_ever_** thinks of burning my house down, he better expect to die tonight."

"Please, Rel…"

She shook, her sobs started to overtake her words. "You want pity? All I'm doing is showing the same kindness you bestowed upon me." She shot the ground beside Trowa's head and started, staring at the gun in his hand, then back a Trowa.

_I almost killed him._

She sprang to her feet, past Trowa, past the shell-shocked Wufei, and onto Trowa's motorbike, shooting a hole in the tire of Wufei's.

As the two men watched her go, Wufei pulled something out of his pocket.

"Got her?" Trowa said from the ground, pinching his bleeding nose.

Helping him up, Wufei nodded. "She's heading south." They watched silently as the tracking signal moved farther away.

* * *

"Tro, what happened to you?" Duo exclaimed as Trowa walked into the conference room. "Wolfie beatcha up again?" 

Trowa shot him a glare then collapsed in the seat beside Heero. The gundam pilots were the only ones in the room, as it hadn't been used since Relena's reign. "We just got back from the longest helicopter ride of our lives.

"Why? What happened to your motorcycles?"

"The girl who stole the files shot them up and stole mine." Trowa monotoned. Heero sat up, looking alert.

"Did you see her?"

Wufei and Trowa glanced at one another for a moment, thennodded their heads.

Duo made an angry noise. "You took Wolfie with you and yet you ditched me? What's your dysfunction?"

"Maxwell…" Wufei growled. Duo protectively placed his braid over one shoulder.

"Guys, cut it out." Quatre scolded. He looked at Trowa. "What did she want?"

Trowa glanced sideways at Heero. "She says if you burn her house down, she'll kill you."

"Her house?" Quatre squawked. "She worked for Furuya?"

"Affirmative." Trowa and Wufei voiced. Heero rolled his eyes in an uncharacteristic gesture.

"She's not a threat. How did she overcome two fully trained gundam pilots, by the way?"

"She had a gun!" Wufei protested. Heero looked unimpressed.

"So does Duo. That doesn't mean you can't disarm him any day of the week, Wufei."

"Hey!" Duo protested, while Wufei flushed.

"It doesn't matter." Heero continued. "If she shows her face tonight, she will be taken into captivity and interrogated."

Wufei and Trowa masked the dread on their face.

* * *

_I don't know where I'm going._

Relena felt tremendously stupid as she steered the motorcycle left and right, weaving in and out of the cars' way, helmet low so no one could see her.

She turned on a deserted road, enjoying the feel of the gravel tottering the cycle. She was just about to let go of the handles when she remembered she wasn't eight and wasn't on a bicycle.

She sighed as the road dead-ended and turned Trowa's bike around, just in time to see a black car with darkly tinted windows turned down the road. She shrugged. Maybe the drivers need to…relieve themselves.

She started back, turning in onto the ditch. Just as she passed the car, a tinted window slid down, and she slowed. What was going on?

Relena couldn't even begin to imagine this question as a gun thrust itself out of the window.

_Oh, shit._

She turned as bullets started pelting the ground behind her. She prayed that Trowa knew his motorcycles, hearing the car speed up behind her, following her. And she was headed to the dead-end.

Inside the helmet, Relena began to panic. What was she going to do? Crazy people she didn't know were chasing after her on a dead-end road in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason. Peachy.

Tugging on her gun, she turned and fired at the window, breaking the windshield. She smiled in spite of herself.

Reaching the dead-end, Relena spun the cycle, flinging gravel into the car, as there was no windshield to protect those inside. The car stopped, but the bullets continued.

She groaned as one hit the fleshy part of her thigh and ducked behind the bike. Peering through the intricate holes, she got an eye on the man shooting and stood.

Taking a bullet to the shoulder, she raised the gun with one hand and fired. Silence fell as it found its mark.

The blonde gasped for breath, blood plastering her neck and hair. She stumbled to the car and climbed in through the front window. The door had to handles.

The driver was dead, a rock lodged in his eye. The other man still breathed. Relena grabbed him by the collar.

"What do you want with me, you bastard!" She screamed at him. He grinned and Relena shook him roughly. He coughed up some blood and only then did Relena realize the bullet in his chest.

He whispered something. Relena leaned closer. "What?" Suddenly a hand gripped her throat like a viceand she gasped for breath as he tugged her closer before whispering in her ear.

"Anarchy lives."


	7. Tired of Sleeping With Giants

Heeeeyyy y'all.

I know I promised a long wait (fans of **Ironic** know what I'm talkin' 'bout) but I made this as a special treat because I got AWESOME reviews last chapter! But you know what that means….It may not be a good as the other chapters! I warning you!

Today: Meet **Sylvia Noventa-Kashu**, **Zan** **Kashu**, and **Carly Peacecraft. **Two are OCs. But they're little kids, so don't fail me now, reviewers!

Speaking of which:

**Lil'wonder: **Don't worry. Actually, Quatre has a really big part in the next couple of chapters.

**Bloody Raven with blue eye: **Reignashii! Bloody R.'s review is longer than yours! Thanks, man. You totally cheered me up.

**Bloody Shinobi: **Am writing!

**N.K.: **I am so sorry but I'm in a rush and can't spell out your name!

**Caggie:** OK…you scare me. But in a totally good way.

**Phantasy Dreamer:** Not busy. Here ya go!

**Seraphwalker: **Heck NOO! There are not enough letter in the word 'No' to adequately describe my no-ness

**Faerex: **I love you. You are the awesome!

**Gundamgirl818: **Heck yes, don't ya know it!

**Rockerchick224: **You and my mom would get along well.

**Theevilashleyness: **O….kay.

**Reignashii: **I have no idea. Haven't gotten that far.

**Becca G.: **Thanks so much.

**Heaven'sgirl: **You'll find oow-out!

**Computer geek michelle: **Like, duhhh!

* * *

_I can't breathe, I can't breathe._

_Oh my god._

_I._

_Can't._

_Breathe._

Relena twisted the man's hand sharply and jerked backwards.

"Who…?" She barely rasped out, massaging her damaged throat.

"Memory Nanashi, right girlie?" The man accused. Relena backed warily out the busted windshield.

The man cackled. "Well, don't make it so obvious. Take all the fun outta things," He laughed and coughed all at the same. His nose was starting to hemorrhage. "You are accused of the assassination of Zuko Furuya and the treason against Anarchy."

Relena glared, willing her lost voice to emit her protest.

"Your penalty is death."

Relena's voice burst anew. "What?" Her broken throat shrieked its pain. "I'm _not_ a killer."

The stranger grinned, blood coating his teeth. "Too bad. I am."

But before he could even grab his gun, Relena's was pressed against his cheek. The dying man giggled.

"Not a killer, huh?"

Relena looked him straight in the eye and pulled the trigger.

Only a click sounded. She was out of bullets.

"Not today."

As she searched his pockets, the man (or Keifer Thoms, as his ID said) breathed his last ragged breath. All she found, though, was said ID and a picture of Thoms and two boys who looked remarkably like him, and a large device that she knew from the many quizzes Furuya had put her through was a tracking device. A Preventer logo was on the back.

Head spinning with the implications, Relena grabbed Thoms handgun and scrambled out of the car to head back towards the motorcycle, but stopped.

Something red was blinking on the gleaming blue bike.

She ran towards it and tore the blinking light off her cycle. Not enough cables to be a bomb so it must be…

"The tracer," Relena snarled. "Trowa."

She now remembered him brushing her leg as she ran off. The tracker must of moved to the bike when she turned onto the road.

Her blue eyes turned to ice chips as she straddled the bike and turned on the engine, revving it.

And on the way past the desolate car, Relena slammed the tracker onto the driver's slack face.

_Let them find it._

_Let them see what they've unleashed._

* * *

"Quatre! Quatre Winner!" An excited voice rang through the hall.

The platinum blond turned at his name, his worried expression melting as he saw who it was.

"Hello, Sylvia."

Sylvia Noventa-Kashu, Vice Foreign Minister, founder of colony L8, and mother of a beautiful baby boy, stood before him, smiling with sheer brilliance.

"Quatre, I haven't seen you in ages!" Sylvia squealed, hugging him tightly.

"Um, Sylvia?" Quatre gasped. "I can't breathe."

Sylvia giggled and released him. "Where's Zan?" Quatre asked.

"I traded him in today for this one."

She tugged slightly on the little hand clasped in her own.

"Hello, Carly." Quatre bent down the two-year-old's eye level.

"Kattie!" Carly Peacecraft screamed joyfully, falling into Quatre hands.

He picked her up and began walking down the hall with Sylvia. "So where is Zan?"

"He went to see his father." Sylvia said quietly.

Quatre furrowed his brow. "You think a graveyard is appropriate for a baby?"

Sylvia stopped and faced him, eyes ablaze. "Alez took five of your little terrorists with him. He was a hero. Zan deserves to know."

She snatched Carly out of his hands and turned smartly on her heel, leaving Quatre alone, scratching his head.

Alezander Kashu. Brilliant man, battle-savvy general. He married Sylvia when she was 17, and they had Alezander the Second, or just 'Zan', when she was just nineteen. A couple of months later after his son, Alez was caught in the crossfire of terrorists and Preventers and took five men down before a shot to the head killed him instantly. He was 25. And then, of course, came his state funeral, which even Heero honored with his presence. That was how Sylvia and Heero met again.

Quatre sighed, running a hand through his hair. _And everything went downhill from there..._

* * *

"So where is she?"

"She hasn't moved from where she was when you asked five minutes ago. Wherever she is, she's staying there."

Wufei banged his head on the desk. "Then why don't we go get her." He felt his head. "I do not recommend that."

Trowa rolled his eyes. "You have to go with Heero and Quatre tonight."

"Why?"

"Because he trusts you."

Wufei growled, but nodded. "Fine. But if you let her go, I'll kill you."

Trowa didn't doubt a word of it.

* * *

Preventer vans were already starting to surround Furuya's home. Relena eyed them with disgust.

It wasn't like she could do anything about it. Her leg was fine, just had a hole in it. But her shoulder was a mess. And all her bandages were inside that house that was about to burn to the ground.

She swung up into a tree, close to a Preventer van.

"Is everything ready?"

She was startled to hear Heero's voice.

"Yessir." An officer responded.

"Good. That house has to burn _to the ground_." Heero monotoned as he emerged out of the back of the van.

Relena's lip curled and her finger on the gun's trigger twitched, but she calmed, satisfying herself by swinging into a tree adjoining the window of her room.

She muffled a scream as she nearly landed on Furuya's body. His glazed eyes followed her accusingly as she slammed a two pistols in her boots and filled her pockets with gauze. She backed out of the room, not wanting to turn her back on the corpse. She stopped when something cold pressed against the back of her head.

"Don't move."

Relena's blood froze as Heero's cold voice cut through her.

"Girl, slight build, guns in your boots and two bullet wounds. You must be the thief that managed to fool the rest of us. And you're trying to kill Relena Peacecraft," The pressure from the gun increased painfully.

"You lose," She knew if she turned around she would see him smirking. "She disappeared. Three years ago. You're a little late."

Relena raised her hands slowly, getting a laugh out of Heero.

"Turn around. Maybe I'll make it quick and shoot you between the-"

Suddenly Heero groaned and the pressure was relieved from Relena's head.

"Relena?"

"Wufei! Oh, my God." She stared at Heero, who was groaning on the floor. She slammed her foot into his face and he fell silent.

"You've been waiting to do that for a long time, haven't you?" an amused Wufei asked. Relena grinned cheekily, stepping back from Heero's prone body.

"That felt good."

Wufei held out his hand. "C'mon, Relena. You've got to get out of here."

Relena stared at his outstretched hand, suddenly remembering a bright, blinking light.

"It was you."

Wufei's face turned into the picture of panic. "What are you talking about? Relena, we've got to go-"

"How else would those assassins know where I was?"

"Relena, you're not making any sense!"

"_Stop lying to me, Wufei_!" Relena hissed, conscious of the Preventers below. "You and Trowa planted a tracer on me. Because I was a loose end. Because…because why? How could he do that to me? How could _you_ do that to me?"

Wufei was silent for a moment, his eyes to the ground.

"Trowa didn't know."

Relena slapped him.

He reeled backwards, then snapped, "You were working for Anarchy!"

"I didn't know that!"

"It doesn't-didn't-matter." Wufei admitted.

"And how does that give any of you the right to kill _anybody?_"

Wufei sneered. "Why don't you ask you're sensei there? Seems to me he knows the answer pretty well."

This time Relena punched him, and didn't stop until he slumped beside Heero, who was coming around.

She flew to the window, then turned back, the moonlight at her back, throwing her face into shadow.

Heero stared at her, eyes unfocused and confused. The girl whispered something to him before disappearing into the blood red night and the dancing flames about to engulf her house.

Darkness claimed him again as the words washed over him.

"_Memories die, Heero."_

* * *

Trowa's engine slowly died as he approached the seemingly abandoned car. The satellite system tracking Relena blinked steadily here.

He approached the driver's window, barely making out a busted windshield through the tinted glass. He climbed through that.

Two dead men. One with a headshot wound and one with a huge hole in his stomach. He was grinning. Trowa searched him first.

The man (Keifer Thoms, he learned) hand nothing but a crinkled picture. Trowa tore it up and threw it out of the window for nature to destroy.

Thoms' partner was easier. He even came with a nametag. Maxwell Rainodo. Trowa could not suppress a smirk, but it quickly faded as he noticed a small, brilliant light on Rainodo's cheek.

He peeled off Relena's tracker and the beeping on his satellite system dinged even louder. Trowa shut it down, staring at the horror Relena had created.

But still the beeping signaling he had found his target continued. Coming from the floorboard. Trowa leaned down, revealing a system identical to his own.

Trowa looked around, for once bewildered. How had these men gotten this? And if they were using it to track Relena, why?

As he walked back to his cycle, the answer dawned on him, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Wufei."


	8. Are You With Me Or Not At All?

* * *

Hey peoplez! Time for a new chappie of Fighter! Let the squees begin!

Reviewers (and I was very disappointed in y'all this round.)

**Reignashii: **Hey! Thanks for reviewing. And I have absolutely no idea how you mixed up Gundam Wing with Rurouni Kenshin! LOL

**Pureevil230: **It's very complex! Yeah, right! You're just gonna hafta wait and see!

**Faerex: **That was so funny! 'Yay, she hurt Heero'!

**Computer geek michelle: **I know, I know. Thanks so much for reviewing

**Terra: **You know, quite honestly…that's my style most of the time. But for action stories I like to mix it up. You and my English teacher would get along great. She says there's no consistency in my writing! LOL! And as for the OOCness, of course she is, she's completely different just like you says, right? But thanks so for your review, I appreciate the constructive criticism (I really do!)

**Heaven'sgirl: **I know, right!

**Rockerchick224: **I believe you. I say totally all the time and my best friend is the punk to end all punks!

**Isis 01: **Were you and Terra in a contest to see who could write the longest review? But seriously, I'm very thankful for your appreciation, and thanks a zillion for reviewing.

**Malcolm Yuy: **Weeellll….glad you liked it!

**Seraphwalker: **Yeah, you did. About three times. And yes, my Wufei is an ass, although he at some point in the series was my favorite character.

**KittieKat8: **Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**Okay, you guys are gonna hate me because:**

**A. nothing happens in this chapter**

**B. I've introduced about seven new characters**

**C. This chapter was written over the span of about two weeks so the writing is, as Terra could tell you, very inconsistent.**

**But whatever, I'm already expected flames from you guys and Wufei fangirls alike.**

* * *

Wufei started. Where the hell was he? He turned his head a little and came face-to-face with an irate Heero Yuy.

Oh yeah, that's right. His pounding head, Heero, the open window, it all added up to one thing.

Relena.

"We've got to move," Heero's voice was as close to menacing as it ever got. "Those new officers can't think for themselves, and have yet to set the damned house on fire."

"You do realize that we're in the house?" Wufei asked.

Heero shrugged. "We'd have gotten out."

"Well I'm glad you're so confident in you're abilities," Wufei said waspishly. "but statistics show that hundreds of people are killed in house fires each year because they thought 'they'd of gotten out.'"

Heero smirked. "Since when did you become a statistics.

"I'm not the one with a death wish."

"That would be Trowa." Heero deadpanned. Wufei frowned at Heero's reaction to his comparison to Trowa. Heero shook his head and looked around.

"Look, she left the window open for us. C'mon."

The two men stood, awkwardly filling the narrow hallway Relena had so easily slinked through. Heero paused at the window.

"It's getting light. We'd better leave."

Wufei stared pointedly at Heero's leg swung over the sill. "We are."

"No. The Preventers."

"Why can't we burn the blasted house down in the day?"

"Too obvious."

"What?" Wufei looked affronted. "We're up in the Avian Plains!"

"Which can be seen from the highway," Heero pointed out, randomly gesturing out to the faraway road.

"So?"

Heero rolled his eyes. "So. Big bear, wore a hat, had an enmity for matches. Went by the name of Smoky."

Wufei looked confused. "Wasn't he banned a couple of years ago?"

"Yes, he was scaring small children."

"So we can't do it in the day because of forest fire suspicion," Wufei concluded. "What's the difference between a forest fire in the day and a forest fire at night?"

Heero waved his hands. "Less people on the road, they'd think it's campers…the order came from Zechs." He began to push himself out the window.

Wufei paused. "Wait, one more question."

"_What?"_

"Why are we climbing out a window when we can use the stairs?"

* * *

"What do you mean they're inside? No one's allowed inside!"

"And since when do we follow the rules?"

Quatre, who had been arguing with a new recruit about his two friends' location, turned angrily as said two walked out the front door. He glared at them.

"What we're you doing in there?"

"Looking around." Heero lied lamely.

"For three hours."

"We had some trouble." Wufei offered. Quatre stared in disbelief.

"With _what?!"_

Heero shook his hair out of his eyes. "We got knocked out by the thief girl. You're worse than Sylvia!"

Quatre ignored the jab as his anger evaporated, but found himself colder than before. "Did you see her?"

They shook their heads, Wufei a beat behind Heero.

"I had her at gunpoint." Heero sounded angry with himself. "But something hit me from behind."

"Me, too," Wufei lied quickly.

Quatre sighed. "She must have an accomplice."

"Obviously," Wufei said uneasily.

Heero snorted. "Obviously," He turned to the officers on his command. "Alright, you imbeciles. Let's move out. We'll return at midnight."

Quatre sighed. "I love it when he yells at other people."

Heero threw him a glare over his shoulder. "Get in the van, you two."

Wufei and Quatre obliged, piling into the back of the trademark black vans behind Heero.

As the vans, which were not meant for off-road travel, bounced and tumbled down the road, Quatre remarked, "You're beeping, Heero."

The other man cursed and detached something from his belt. "Yuy," He said into what was revealed to be a CommLink, shoving the earpiece into it's place.

"No, we didn't torch it." He said into it. "It's breaking 700 hours right now. We'll go back tonight, Zechs."

Quatre and Wufei looked at each other uneasily as Zechs shouted over the phone.

"I'll take care of it." Heero said before pressing the 'Off' button on his LinK sharply and scowling at it.

"If he wasn't Relena's brother, I'd kill him."

"Not like she's around to care," Wufei muttered to himself.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Not to worsen your mood, Heero." Quatre hastily cut in. "But Sylvia will be waiting in your office when you get back."

Heero's scowl deepened further as he sat back in his seat and groaned.

* * *

_Anywhere to sleep. _

Relena was exhausted, hungry, and had two loaded guns stuck down her boots.

But besides looking like the poster child for substance abuse, she had two recently bandaged holes in her, and was homeless.

_And_ it was starting to rain.

With a scream of frustration, she kicked the boulder beside her, which only added a pounding foot and fresh agitation.

If half the universe didn't know who Relena Peacecraft Dorlian was, she'd of hitchhiked by now. But as it was, she was the Former Queen of the World and would probably be mobbed if she got into a car.

_But then again, _she thought, looking around her. _These are the backwoods and my appearance has changed since three years ago…_

So she edged closer to the road and prayed to whoever was up there for safety.

_Just anywhere to sleep._

She pushed her pistols deeper into her army boots and hunched her shoulders against the now pounding rain as the cars blazed by her. Why didn't she grab her jacket? Even her kimono would've been better than the black tank and ninja pants she had from her last mission, thought the silk would've of been ruined.

She was so wrapped up in her misery that at first she didn't notice the car pull alongside her, until the door flew up.

"Miss, do you need a ride?" Came a kindly a voice from inside.

Relena, cold and wet, shook her head. "I have nowhere to go!" She shouted over the rain.

"Get inside, girl." The voice came from closer and revealed itself to be a woman, about fifty with a maternal look to her face. "I won't bite."

Relena looked forward to wherever the hell she was going and back to inside the car. She _was_ tired of running, and the sky was showing no sign of lightening. The woman waited patiently as Relena rubbed her shoulder and looked at the roads again. _Just to the next station…_

"Okay." Relena said, jumping inside the car. Besides, if anything went wrong, she had two guns loaded and ready.

"There. Isn't that better?"

Relena nodded vigorously, making her chattering teeth clack painfully together. "T-thank you."

The woman smiled and turned on the heat. "No problem."

"You know, I'm not usually one to get into a stranger's car."

"Cleary. You're also not one to get caught in rain storms," The woman said dryly. Relena smiled sheepishly.

"I'm Memory." She offered.

The stranger frowned. "Interesting." Relena saw her eyes flick down the guns in Relena's boots. "I'm Kaoree. Kaoree Nikols."

"Pleasure to meet you, Kaoree Nikols."

"Feeling's mutual, Memory."

They sat in pleasant silence for a few moments, Kaoree watching the road, Relena watching the motorcycle behind them, before Kaoree said. "Where are you heading?"

Relena shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. I don't have any money. I was…robbed."

It wasn't _really_ lying, and it did gain a sympathetic look from Kaoree.

"Then you simply must come and stay with us."

Relena protested. It was a lovely offer really, but they didn't know each other.

"Nonsense." Kaoree said after Relena had finished. "You have huge bags under your eyes and if you feel half as starved as you look, you must be famished."

"I've always been really skinny…" Relena protested feebly.

Kaoree looked over at her. "Just for one night."

Seeing no way to get out of this sensibly as Kaoree looked quite determined, and enticed by the promise of food and bed, Relena nodded.

"Fantastic." Kaoree exclaimed. "But on one condition." Relena glanced at her sharply. "Leave the guns in the car."

Relena grinned and tossed the guns in the back seat. Kaoree nodded and turned onto a road, better paved than the one Relena faced her death upon less than 12 hours ago. Almost immediately, a huge house loomed into view. Kaoree stopped the car in it's drive and turned to Relena, grinning.

"We're here."

* * *

Behind them, the motorcycle that Relena had watched before pulled off the road and into the woods surrounding the mansion. The cyclist tugged off his helmet and took down Kaoree's license plate number, simultaneously pulling out a laptop from the pack behind him.

He ran the number through a search and grinned maliciously as Kaoree's name flashed on the screen. Selecting a different icon, he typed down his message.

**Wufei- **

**Found Memory. Avian Valley. With Kaoreena Nikols. Orders?**

**-Skyyeks**

* * *

"What do you want?" Heero asked, slamming the door behind him. Sylvia, who was spinning around in his chair, stopped and put her feet on the desk.

"Rough day?"

He threw a glare at her cheeky grin and scowled at her feet scuffing his desk. "George will kill you."

"George Schmeorge," Sylvia shrugged, stood up, and placed her hands on his shoulder. "I'll buff desks all day as long as you're right beside me."

Heero's face tinged slightly and he shrugged off her hands. "Sylvia.."

She stared up at him expectantly. He shook his head and stared at the rain outside.

"I know you're still in love with her."

Heero whirled around. "What?"

But she continued. "You're always thinking about her, and I know when you see me, touch me, _kiss_ me, you're still with her," Heero protested, but she went on.

"It's the look in your eyes, Heero. It's possessive, it's gentle…actually it's really sexy."

"Sylvia, I don't-"

She framed his face with her hands. "Baby, don't lie," She kissed him softly and pulled away. "Relena is gone. She disappeared three years ago. I'm not gonna stand in for her."

Heero stared at her as she touched her forehead to his. "Heero, let her go."

He pulled away sharply, grasping her wrists. "Like you do with Alez, right?" She looked away guiltily and he dropped her hands. "Let me ask you, Sylvia, where are you going after this?"

"I have to go." She said hurriedly.

Heero rolled his eyes. "Of course you do."

She gazed up at him tearfully, gathering up her purse and scarf and stalking to the door. Tearing it open, she paused and turned.

He stared back at her, something whispering in the back of his head.

"I love you, Heero." _Memories die, Heero._

He found himself unable to repeat her words.

She asked him not to lie to her.

* * *

"Your house is gorgeous." Relena said, running he finger along the spotless cherry oak banister.

And it really was. The three-story mansion was one of the most beautiful houses Relena had ever seen with it's flagstones and spiral staircases, engravings and fireplaces that achingly reminded her of her own Victorian style estate.

Kaoree thanked her and said she had to go get her children.

"My room is just to the left. I should have some old clothes of mine that'll fit you."

Relena nodded and opened to the left of her, revealing a gigantic bedroom, and, seeing the walk-in closet, rifled through it, eventually pulling out an indigo sweater and black sweat pants and slipping them on.

"Memory," Kaoree called. As she headed toward the older woman's voice, Relena distinctly heard a child say. "What kind of name is Memory?" followed by a sound smack and giggle.

"Hello, Kaoree." Relena greeted, looking over the older woman's shoulder to count…five children!

Kaoree smiled at Relena's slightly shocked expression. "Memory, these are my kids. The twins are Laskan and Lia." Two of the kids with huge smiles and bright red hair nodded. "the pouting boy is Kenrik," Kenrik, red-haired as well, just scowled, "his sister, Cherise," Scherise had her mother's chestnut hair and was far too pretty for her own good, "then there's Haydyn.," this one frowned at her, "and the oldest is…where's Cody?"

"In the kitchen." The one Kaoree named off as Haydyn answered. "I'll go get him."

As he left, Relena found herself in a stare down with Cherise. "Memory, huh?"

Relena nodded, making the younger sneer. "You made it up, right?"

Relena thought it was ridiculous that the hatred leaking off this girl was coming from the fact that she had a weird name, but answered her anyway. "No. My sensei did."

"Your sensei?"

"His name was Furuya." Relena shrugged. "He's dead."

Kaoree winced. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Relena said.

"So you're like a martial artist?" Kenrik asked excitedly.

Relena smiled. "No, sweetie, I was trained to do other things, too."

"Like what?" Cherise cut in. "C'mon, you're just making this stuff up so my mom will feel bad for you and let you freeload."

"Scheris!" Kaoree screeched, but her daughter continued to glare at Relena.

Suddenly, Relena whirled and swept Cherise's feet from underneath her. Just as Cherise was about to hit the ground, Relena caught her hands.

"You are a very rude little girl." And then she dropped her and looked over at Kaoree, whose mouth was twitching.

"Cool." Laskan and Lia said.

Relena flashed them a smile. "Sorry." She said to Kaoree, who shrugged and glared at her daughter.

"She _was_ being rude, and…that was some seriously cool footwork."

"No," Relena moved her head down to stare at Cherise. "She didn't know me and was duly suspicious. She did a good job, if an annoying one. Maybe I reacted too soon," She leaned down and offered Cherise her hand. "But we all act a little rash sometimes, huh?"

The two girls stared at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing. Relena hauled Cherise to her feet, still shaking, as Lia circled them, giggling. Laskan watched his sisters and looked up at his mother, confused. She smiled down at him.

"Don't worry, 'Skan. It's a girl thing."

"What is?" Haydyn asked, reentering the room. Lia ran to him.

"Rissy was being mean again!" She said, tugging on her brother's arm, who glared up at Cherise.

Kenrik tugged on his other arm. "But Memory tripped her!"

"Cool."

Cherise stuck her tongue out at her younger siblings. Haydyn rolled his eyes and turned to his eyes. "Cody's coming. He has to turn off one last burner."

"Great," Relena interrupted, glancing around at the children. "How old are you?"

"We're seven." The twins said immediately.

"Nine," Kenrik followed proudly, puffing up his tiny chest.

"Thirteen," Haydyn said, tickling his little brother. "Yeah right, ya brat!"

"I'm sixteen," Cherise told her over Kenrik's giggles. Behind her, a tall boy entered the room.

"And I'm twenty-three."

Relena turned from Cherise to face the most breath-taking eyes she'd ever seen. Gorgeous indigo, streaks of green soaring through, hints of azure blue pulsing behind.

"Hi," The owner of those beautiful eyes said. "I'm Dacoda."

"Memory," Relena replied, shaking his outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's mine," Dacoda smiled, never taking his eyes off hers.

"Turn off all the burners, Cody?" Kaoree interrupted, exchanging secret smiles with Cherise.

Dacoda nodded. "Dinner's ready."

"Great, I'm starving!" Relena blurted out, blushing as Dacoda laughed.

* * *

"You said you needed to see me." Wufei said while closing the door to Trowa's office.

"Yeah." The former soldier answered. "How'd the mission go?"

Wufei sat down heavily. "Relena came. Knocked out me and Heero, so the burning was delayed."

"She wasn't supposed to be there."

"No. Not at all." Wufei agreed absentmindedly. Trowa's eyes narrowed.

"Did Heero see her?"

"No. I hit him from behind before he could."

Trowa nodded, then stood up, throwing something at Wufei. He looked down and carefully picked up the tracker.

"Wha-No!"

Trowa seized him by the collar and dragged him up. "You swore to protect her! Forever!" He yelled. "What the hell is your problem, Wufei?"

"You just don't get it, do you, Tro?" Wufei spat. "I swore to protect Relena, and that bitch that works for Anarchy-Memory-isn't her."

Trowa sneered. "You two never were the best of friends. You barely knew her, barely cared. As long as you could sleep at night, right, _Chang_? So how could you tell is she was Relena or not?

"Let me answer that for her. You don't. She's still the same girl who made the galaxy put down their guns, even if she's picked up a couple of her own. She's not an Anarchist like the rest of them, Wufei." Wufei had the decency to look ashamed as Trowa continued.

"So how do the others feel, about you leaking info to Anarchy?" Wufei stared at his hands. Trowa shook his head in disgust. "You hypocritical bastard."

He sank down into the chair opposite Wufei, rubbing his forehead. Wufei opened his mouth to say something when his LinK beeped, signaling a message.

Wufei's eyes read it so fast they blurred, muttering curses under his breath.

"So?" Trowa began malevolently. "Where's Relena?"

Wufei grimaced. "Skyyeks, Anarchy's agent, says Memory's at the home of one Kaoreena Nikols."

Trowa stared up in shock. "Oh Gods." He groaned, standing up.

"I'll get her."

"But-Dacoda-"

"I know. And one more thing, Wufei?"

"Yes?"

The last thing Wufei saw was Trowa's fist crashing towards his face.


	9. To Be Exposed Where No One Goes

Hey peoplez. What's up? Ready for a new chapter? (Well, God, wouldn't be here if you weren't, right?)

Reviewers:

**Reignashii: **Okay, deep breaths. Everything will be alright.

**Faerex:** Ahahaha, you cracked me up. "Intriguing!"

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**Isis 01: **I totally love you! You crack me up! Flippin made my day! SO MUCH LUVVVV! (OK,yeah, i've had pixy stix today!)

**heaven'sgirl: **Oh that was you? Ok. Well, thanks ever so for reviewing!

**Torchured Artist: **Maybe...you're pretty smart, dude.

**Seraphwalker: **You love Trowa too! God, I love Tro to death. I think I made a lot of people who thought he was just okay really like him!

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**PhantasyDreamer: **S'okay. I think that happened to a lot of people since I posted last chapter over the Xmas holiday.

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**Hey! You guys are TEH AWESOME and you should know it so have a cookie! And Isis 01 gets a Pixy Stix!**

**Now what's your all screamin at your computer screen: ON WITH THE FOTHERMUCKING STORY!**

* * *

"This is the best lasagna...in the history of lasagna..."

"I'm glad you like it," Dacoda said, laughing at the expression of pure ecstasy on Relena's face. Cherise looked on with sympathy.

"I bet you haven't eaten stuff like this in awhile, huh?"

Relena shook her head vehemently. "No. All Furuya and I ever had was ramen. So much ramen. I mean, I like it as much the next person, but _really!"_

The Nikols family chuckled as Relena ranted on about the injustices of apprenticeship and she smiled, reveling in the warmth that surrounded her. She hadn't felt like this in so long. She welcomed the foreign feeling and leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh, catching Dacoda's gaze.

"Hey Memory," He started, turning his attention fully to her. "You gotta come see the view from the tower."

"You have a tower?" Relena asked, a little amazed.

"Yeah!" Lia piped up.

"Daddy built it!" Laskan added. Relena did not miss the flicker of pain that crossed the older children's faces when Laskan spoke of their father.

"Who was your father?"

Kaoree leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. "My husband, Blaine Nikols, was an army general in the Eve Wars. He was killed a little while after that."

"I'm so sorry," Relena said softly. Kaoree smiled slightly and nodded. Beside her, Dacoda took her hand and pulled her up.

"C'mon." He said while he dragged her up the stairs. "The tower's amazing. Besides being a general, my father was a brilliant architect. He built it about five months before he died. Fortified the whole damn house, in fact. Dad was always terrified his enemies would attack, cause he was pretty high up in the Legions…Mom said it felt like a castle, so as a joke Dad built the tower."

Relena followed obediently behind Dacoda as he continued to rattle off the accomplishments of his father. She found that it slightly sickened her.

When they reached the tower, her breath left her. It _was_ amazing. The view was nothing short of incredible.

"Wow." She breathed. Dacoda came up behind her.

"I know."

She fingered a photo lying on the table beside them. "Is this him? Your father?" She asked him, turning around.

"Yeah." Dacoda was grinning at the picture of his dad, a man with vibrant red hair and a grin that lit up the very room itself. Then his face turned serious and he turned away from Relena, walking to the huge windows that were the tower's defining feature.

"He was a hero."

Relena felt that uncomfortable feeling creep upon her again. "I'm sorry about his death. You must've loved him a lot."

"I did." Dacoda agreed, whirling around. "He was my idol. I've always wanted - just the same as Haydyn and Kenrik and Laskan - to be just like him."

"The army's a hard life," Relena stated, refusing to believe that seven-year-old Laskan was simply living to die.

Dacoda nodded solemnly and took her hands. "My mom, she didn't tell you the whole story. About my dad." His gorgeous eyes flashed.

"Dacoda…"

"It was stupid. Some Preventers fighting back against Dad's regiment. He shot their leader in the head after the bastard had taken out five of his men. Preventers captured him, took to the head of their office. The guy's wife, the man my dad shot, her name is Sylvia Noventa, Vice Foreign Minister. She ordered for my dad to be killed."

Relena let go of Dacoda's hands, placing her own over her face, hoping to hide her horrified expression. Sylvia wouldn't….she couldn't…she didn't have that much power, unless she had somehow wormed her way into her brother's good graces. Or unless…

_Heero…_

Dacoda's eyes swam with tears as he finished his terrifying tale. "And they did it. Executed him in front of me and my little brothers and sisters."

"Dacoda…" Tears choked Relena's voice. "I'm so s-sorry. So, so sorry."

Dacoda's tears shimmered, falling as he shook his head. "Ah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dumped that on you. You…you barely know us. It's just…I'm so proud of him. I miss him so much, sometimes I talk about him and it's like it'll never stop."

"It's fine…I lost my father, too. I know the feeling," Relena said quietly. "I always felt like...if I talked about him enough it would bring him back."

Dacoda looked considerately at her, nodding, and for a single second Relena felt an understanding pass between them. Several moments passed as she relished a connection with a person, something she hadn't felt in six years, since the first time she met Heero Yuy.

* * *

"Heero!" Trowa called down the hall, grimacing as Heero stiffened, turning around slowly.

"What do you want?" He growled as Trowa approached.

"I need to borrow the files on Dacoda Nikols."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Just wanted to look over them…see if I can find a pattern." Trowa lied, shrugging.

Heero still looked suspicious, but handed over his keycard. "There in Level 4 filing. Under 'A.'"

"'A?' Trowa asked, bewildered. "There's no 'A' initial in his name."

Heero scowled. "No. 'A' for Assassination."

* * *

_I need an Advil…_

Wufei righted himself, hanging on to the chairs facing Trowa's cluttered desk. His vision swam as he straightened out, keeling him over. He collapsed into one of the chairs and pondered since when Trowa could hit that hard.

His CommLinK was beeping on his waist. Wufei was surprised Trowa hadn't taken it; any new information from Skyyeks would of helped his search for Relena tremendously.

He shakily removed it and replayed the message, holding the LinK to his ear.

"_Wufei." _Skyyeks tinny voice breathed. _"Pick up the damn phone…Sigh…Anarchy has requested my return. Sorry, but the big boss comes first. I'm leaving my post, but Memory-chick hasn't left yet. Out."_

Wufei sighed and deleted the message. Why did Anarchy have to pick this moment to move Skyyeks? More importantly, _why_ did Anarchy move Skyyeks? Finding Relena/Memory had been his highest priority. What happened?

He stood up, legs still wobbling but vision clear. He walked out of the room and stopped the first person he saw.

"Duo, have you seen Trowa?"

The Shinigami shook his head. "Can't say I have, man. May wanna check with Quatre though. He always knows where Trowa is."

Wufei nodded and stalked off. "You're welcome!" Duo shouted down the hall at him.

After about five minutes, he found Quatre, in a meeting with Heero and Zechs. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked, closing the door.

"Not at all," Zechs said, leaning down over the table. "We're discussing an old topic."

"What?"

"Relena," Quatre answered wistfully. "Care to join us?"

Wufei stiffened at the former Queen's name, but slid into the chair the blond offered him. "Well, why not?"

They sat in silence for awhile, unable to let each other into the bonds they each had created with Relena.

"Do you remember the day after she went missing?" Wufei asked suddenly. Heero grimaced.

"Everybody running around screaming, like it was a terrorist attack." Zechs said, shaking his head. "And I just sat in my office with Noin, trying to process it…trying to grasp the fact that my sister wasn't going to come waltzing in at any moment, restoring calm and quiet. Trying to grasp that my sister might be dead."

Quatre nodded. "That was the only real thing I could think of…_What if Rellie's dead? _I was so terrified."

"I remember getting back from that false alarm at Sylvia's. Pagan told me that Relena had gone to bed early and I didn't really think…I should've thought…"

"You couldn't have known." Quatre assured him.

"I remember Hilde crying in my ear." Zechs said. "She said she couldn't find Duo and she couldn't find Relena. She was so confused."

"I was confused." Wufei said. "I didn't understand. I couldn't. All I remember was Trowa, sitting down in the middle of it. I swear he was crying."

"He was." Quatre confirmed. "I grabbed his shoulders and he asked me 'She's not here, Quatre, where is she?'"

"They were friends," Heero said quietly.

"Good friends."

They were caught in the silence again. This time it was broken by Zechs. "Did he-does he-love her?"

Wufei remembered Trowa staring up at Relena with that indescribable look on his face. Was it love?

He looked at Heero, who noticed that all eyes had been turned towards him.

He said, "They were…close, I guess."

"Did you?" Quatre whispered.

Heero started, staring widely at Quatre.

"I…" He mouthed. "I-"

"Hey guys, Trowa's motorcycle's missing." Duo said, sticking his head in through the door. "Guess he took off," He noticed the glares being directed towards him and carefully edged back out of the room.

"I've got to go check on the bikes," Heero said hurriedly, excusing himself from his interrogators.

* * *

Dacoda turned from the night air. "So…you're dad…?"

"…his building was bombed right before the wars started."

"The Peace War?"

"Huh?"

"That what people out here called it, because of Relena Peacecraft, I guess." Dacoda said. "She was good. I little naïve, but I doubt she would've killed children's fathers right in front of them."

"No, I don't think she would've." Relena said vaguely.

"You know." Dacoda said. "You look a lot like her. But your skin's too dark and your hair's too light…but you two have the same eyes. Calm, clear…beautiful."

Relena blushed under his gaze. Only five people had ever called her beautiful in her life. Her parents, Pagan, her brother, and Duo. And she didn't even think Duo counted.

"Thank you." She murmured.

* * *

Trowa pushed his foot down a little more, begging his bike to go faster. The Nikols family, of all people…

Trowa remembered the first time he saw Dacoda Nikols. Scared, alone. His brilliant eyes shone under the dull light of his holding cell, his hands clutching a picture of his murdered father.

He remembered Sylvia looking upon Nikols with such loathing, a picture of her own lost loved one in hand. Her baby was in the other.

He remembered, above all, Dacoda staring down at that baby. Trowa remembered the hate he saw brewing in those eyes.

He remembered being afraid for the first time in his life.


	10. That Way The Impact Will Be Much Better

Hey guys! Ehmagawd I'm so so so sorry it took me so long! But I was grounded for like, two months and then I had exams and…OMG so glad it's over.

So here's to the lovely people who put up with me:

**Reignashii: **Unfortunately, I've only come across Midii Une once, and she wasn't very memorable to me, so she won't be in this story. I'm glad, though, that you're taking your anger out on Sylvia.

**Pureevil230: **UPDATING NOW! Thanks for reviewing.

**Heaven'sgirl: **Couple more, maybe. I'm not sure what he has up his sleeve just yet, but Wufei's tricks come up in this chapter.

**Computergeekmichelle: **Thank you for being so patient!

**Isis 01: **Isis! I missed you and Faerex the most! (Oh and you too, Reign-oh, hell, I missed you all. BTW, where is Faerex?) I am SO glad I'm back.

**TheEvilAshleyness: **I think you'll just have to wait, honey, cuz I really have no idea how you got confused. Did I ever send you that email!

**Dark-Light39: WOW. **That was the highest praise I have ever gotten. You just completely made my day!

**PhantasyDreamer: **She's in the series. Heero shot one of her relatives and went up to her while she was at the relative's grave, handed her a gun, and told her she could shoot him, if her wanted. She declined, thank God. Yeah, I think that's what happened.

**Angelus Draco: **Oh hi Caggie. I was wondering about that. Thanks for the praise.

**Skylara: **see Pureevil230's comment above

**AzNAnGeL07: **ditto.

**SeraphWalker: **Woot! Go Trowa! Go Trowa! Yeah, Dacoda is TEH SCARY!

**Pruningshears:** well here you go!

I would like to inform the masses that Fighter has exceeded 100 POSTS, BABY! Milk and cookies for every one, and as a special treat, I'll throw in a celebratory jumbo sized Pixy Stix. Enjoy.

* * *

Heero slumped down in his chair. Neither Trowa's bike or car was in the garage. Which meant he must be out after Dacoda Nikols, though Heero had no idea why.

There came a knock on the door. "S'open," He said, surprised when Sylvia walked through the door carrying Zan.

"What's wrong with Quatre?" She asked. "He seemed very flustered when I talked to him just a minute ago."

Heero sighed. "Trowa went after Dacoda Nikols."

Sylvia's eyes narrowed. "Why? Has he attacked someone else?"

"No. I don't know why Trowa's after him." Heero said. Sylvia shrugged, depositing Zan on the floor and closing the door.

"Just as well. I still can't believe we let him go."

"Well." Heero reasoned. "After what we did to his dad…Zechs guessed it was out of grief."

Sylvia glared. "Grief? _Grief_ is going to you're husband's grave everyday. _Grief_ is crying in your sleep because it's the one place you know no one can hear you. Grief is _not_ trying to kill the Vice Foreign Minister and her son in the park."

Heero shrugged. "Wufei shot his father in the head right in front of him-"

"Blaine Nikols killed his best friend! Of course he wanted revenge!" Sylvia said shrilly.

"Yes," Heero said quietly. "But you made his five-year-olds watch Nikols die. And his wife, and daughter, and two older sons."

"And Dacoda," Sylvia finished harshly.

Heero sighed. "And Dacoda."

Sylvia approached the desk, leaning over it with her hands braced against the hard wood. "Have you ever known what it's like to lose someone you love, Heero? Or has the ice finally hardened around your heart?" She hissed.

"Yes." He said, staring into her narrowed eyes.

"'Yes' to which question?"

"Both."

Her eyes dawned with comprehension and she straightened. Zan was tugging at her leg. She picked him up and glowered at Heero. "Well. I guess you know exactly how they feel."

She turned on her heel, settling Zan more comfortably on her hip before walking out of his office and slamming the door behind her.

Two sour conversations in one day. Heero scowled. As much as he loathed hurting Sylvia, the talk with the other Preventers earlier was haunting him. Did he love Relena? Had he ever? Had he ever not?

He remembered the last time he talked to Relena. They were what, eighteen? She had asked him how much it hurt to realize she was human and had feelings. How much it hurt to find out she could cry and bleed just like a normal person. He remembered how his heart felt like it was collapsing on itself, aflame and torn, as she looked at him, her eyes reflecting like broken glass, all chasms and pain. So much of him was Relena and he wasn't quite sure how he was surviving without her.

And then, the next day, his own personal Living Hell. He was interrogated by Zechs at least four times, then twice by Trowa, which was by no means a fun thing to go through. And there was no Relena there to smile and assure him that everything was going to be alright. Her air of unbreakable calm had left with her, leaving only chaos. The whole day was just them getting by without crying or anything useless like that.

And now it was just the same, getting by day by day. The years hadn't changed anything. They were still the same broken teenagers they had been that day three years ago.

* * *

"I don't care what Anarchy said, Skyyeks. Your priority needs to be Re-Memory. She is your one and _only_ target and right now, someone else is marking her. Stop Trowa Barton before he gets to her or I'll kill you myself!"

"_Hey, Wolfie, you ain't the boss man. Besides, that Memory girl can take care of herself, and from what you told me, she doesn't want Trowa __**or**__ you anywhere near her." _Skyyeks said through the LinK. Wufei could hear the agent's motorcycle humming through the phone. He growled.

"Skyyeks. Just get it done. I'll deal with Anarchy."

"_Like the boss man would ever talk to a Preventer." _Wufei snarled. _"No need to get huffy, Wolfie, I'll get it done. But you may not get your little biker boy in one piece."_

"As long as you stop him." In truth, Wufei wasn't entirely sure Skyyeks **could** stop Trowa, but all they needed was a half-hour delay.

"_Sure thing, Wufei. Out."_ Skyyeks muttered before the line went dead. Wufei shoved in his pocket before checking the watch on his wrist. 2100 hours. Ten minutes before his helicopter took off.

Trowa zigzagged between cars, impatient with the slow 80 miles per hour they were going. He had to get to Relena before Anarchy's agents reached her or Dacoda Nikols figured out who she was.

His LinK buzzed. Trowa knew he should ignore it, but then Quatre would probably send out a search and rescue party, thinking him stranded in the woods with two broken legs. He shoved it into his ear. "Barton."

"Where the hell are you?" Duo shouted in his ear. Trowa winced, the motorcycle jerking to the side. He straightened it before responding.

"I'm on the Avian Highway."

"Why?"

"I'm after Dacoda Nikols." He said.

"Why?" Duo repeated.

Trowa thought fast. "It's been months since we checked up on him. I thought I'd go ahead and do it."

"And you couldn't tell anyone before you went off?" Duo asked.

"Sorry," Trowa said truthfully.

Duo sighed. "It's fine, only you scared Quatre half to death. You know he freaks out like this, ever since Rel-"

"I've gotta go, Duo. I'm in a dead spot. Tell Quatre I'm sorry."

"Yeah, buddy." Duo said before turning his CommLinK off. Quatre looked at him questioningly. Duo shrugged.

"Just a routine checkup."

Quatre's worried features quickly disappeared, then he frowned. "Hey! I did not freak out!"

"Uh…" Duo said, scratching the back of his neck.

* * *

_Blue bike, Lieger brand, make seven, brown hair, Preventers jacket. _

Skyyeks kept all this in his head as he scanned the road ahead of him, shaking his head to get his violet hair out his green eyes.

Stupid Wufei. Anarchy was gonna kill him for disobeying his orders. But he owed Wufei after he killed that bastard that shot Alezander. Blaine Nikols deserved to die for killing his brother.

He never told Alez he was Anarchy's top agent. It would've absolutely killed him to know his baby brother was a terrorist. It was against everything his stupid wife stood for. Oh, how he hated that woman, who wouldn't let him see his nephew.

"Oi!" He breathed, spotting this Trowa Wufei complained about. He drove closer to him, struggling to keep up as 'Trowa' zigzagged across the road. Whoever this guy was, he was kick ass on a 'cycle.

Skyy was about 10 feet behind him before Trowa noticed. He glanced over his shoulder then turned his attention to back to the road, speeding up a bit. Skyyeks had already assessed this and increased his speed until his wheel rammed into the bake of Trowa's bike.

The motorbike swerved for a minute until Trowa gained control. Skyyeks tried it again, but Trowa moved just as he was about to hit him and Skyyeks soared past him. Frightened, he looked over his shoulder, just in time to see Trowa aim a gun at him. The hell? He hadn't seen a gun before.

He ducked behind a car, keeping low to his bike, fiddling with own gun. He locked the bullets in to place then turned and fired. The sound of shattering glass could be heard and a car squealed to a halt, immediately crushed in a pileup. Oops.

Trowa burst free of the pileup, the road suddenly clear. Skyyeks watched in his mirror as the man went to the side. Hmph. He was trying to steer up beside him. Right, like that would ever happen.

He waited until Trowa was almost knee to knee before swinging his arm out and stopping suddenly. Trowa crashed into his fist and was flung off his 'cycle, which went careening into opposing traffic. Skyyeks swerved to a stop and got off his bike.

"Get up, asshole," He yelled at the man groaning on the ground. "I wanna kill you before the police get here."

Trowa got up, holding his gun out. Skyyeks stopped dead. "Who are you?" Trowa yelled.

"Now hold on. Don't wave that thing around." Skyy said, holding out his hand. Trowa fired and a wave of pain emanated from his outstretched hand. Skyyeks raised it up and glared at Trowa through the hole in his palm.

"You bastard!" He screamed, rushing him. Trowa, taken by surprise, fired again, missing. Skyyeks grabbed the gun and slammed the butt of it against his head. Trowa dropped to the ground, his vision shaky. Feebly, he swung his leg out. Skyyeks collapsed beside him.

Trowa rolled away and stood. His legs nearly gave way, but he stayed up. Skyyeks was already up and holding the gun.

"Trowa Barton." He said. "My name is Skyyeks Kashu and you are my forty-fifth victim." He fired.

Trowa screamed as something white-hot entered his shoulder. He felt his collarbone break and screamed again. He bent over, staring up at Skyyeks.

"Skyyeks Kashu." He said hoarsely. He felt his consciousness slipping away from him. "Alez's little brother?"

Skyyeks' eyes widened. "Got that right-" His words were drowned out by the wail of a siren. Skyyeks looked around, cursing. Trowa, hitting the ground, gazed at Skyyeks as he raised a CommLinK to his ear.

"That enough of a distraction for ya, Wufei?"

Wufei, who was high above them, watched as Skyyeks disappeared into the woods and paramedics loaded Trowa into an ambulance. He grinned. "More than enough."

* * *

"He's awake, Quatre."

"Tro?"

Trowa's eyes fluttered. Where was he? He needed to get to Relena. Needed to get there before Wufei.

His heart stopped. Wufei. Skyyeks Kashu.

"Quatre, where's Wufei?" He asked. Quatre looked confused.

"He's out in one of the helicopters, doing your job. He's on his way to the Nikols house." Heero answered for him, standing up. "What happened to you?"

"I was attacked," Trowa said vaguely, tearing his IV out. "I've got to get Wufei."

"Whoa." Quatre said, pushing Trowa down when he tried to stand. "You've suffered a GSW to the shoulder and a mild concussion. You don't need to be walking around."

"Let him go, Quatre," Heero said. Quatre glared at him, but released Trowa. "Trowa. Why do you need Wufei so bad? Who attacked you?"

"Skyyeks Kashu." Trowa answered, pulling on his shirt. Behind him, Duo started in his seat.

"Skyyeks is an agent for Anarchy, sure, but why attack you in the middle of the road?"

"Because Wufei told him to." Trowa said numbly, tugging on his jeans and lacing his shoes.

"What?" Quatre screeched. "What are you talking about, Trowa?"

Trowa looked at him. "Wufei is working with Anarchy to bring down-" He stopped, horribly aware he had said too much.

"Bring down who?" Duo asked. Heero remained silent.

"I can't-"

"Trowa, you are withholding information. Therefore, if you would please come with me to solitary confinement," Heero said, opening the door. Trowa and he stared for a long moment before Trowa put down his other shoe.

"Close the door. I have something to tell you."

**End chapter.**

**Hey guys, you finally get something at the end of a chapter. Y'all better be ready for the next chapter, cuz it's gonna be HUGE! Haha, now I've made you guys really anxious to get the next chapter, right?**

**'Nother thing. There was no Rellie in this chapter, and I'm very sorry about that, but I had to explain too many people (don't y'all ah-dore Skyyeks. Yeah, he's kinda evil, but he's a lot of fun to write!) She'll be prominent in next chapter though. (Well, DUH)**


	11. Forever Hold Your Peace In Pieces

Hey people! Uhh, why are you all glaring at me like that?

So I'm really sorry about not updating sooner. I just started high school and I've been **swamped.** Like, not even funny.

So I'll hurry this press conference along. As per usual, to my reviewers!

**Reignashii: I have a question. Did you hate Sylvia before you read my story, or is it just now? Haha**

**Heaven'sgirl: Hmmm. Is he? Is he really?**

**AirStriker: Well, thank you very much! And here, I won't keep you hanging very long.**

**Pureevil230: "Angry Grief"! Ha! And yeah, you're totally right about Heero.**

**Faerex: Ahhh, yes it did! So happy to be back, I forgot how much I enjoyed this whole shebang.**

**Kim: Thanks!**

**AzNAngel07: I know. They're like…Sour Patch Kids! That's great! Cliffies are like Sour Patch Kids!**

**pruning shears: Grrr! And I liked that line a lot!**

**Angelus Draco: I think you may not be snickering for very long. Sorry, bud!**

**Theevilashleyness: Can't wait til I get you're next review!**

**: What is your native language? My second is French. Parlez-vous francais? Anyway, your review almost made me blush, such high praise! Thank you.**

**Liz: Aww! Please don't almost-cry! Then you'll make me almost-cry!**

**Becca G.: UPDATING!Okay, lovelies, HERE WE GO!!! Get your Pixy Stix ready!**

* * *

"Wolfie. As much as I enjoy walking through the woods with blood dripping outta my hand, when are you gonna pick me up?"

Skyyeks was tired beyond belief. That Trowa guy-how the hell did he know him?-was not a bad fighter. Not bad at all. And that damn Wufei had left him alone to wander through the trees with no feeling in his hand and no mode of transportation.

He breathed into the CommLinK, short breaths of weariness and frustration, waiting for Wufei's response_. "We're not."_

"What?!" Skyy shrieked. "Don't joke like that Wufei."

"_We're almost to Nikols' house. We're not turning back just to get you."_

"Do it anyway! This is on your ass, Wolfie. When Anarchy hears-"

"_About what? You whining because a Preventer kicked your ass?"_

"You-!" Skyyeks exploded, kicking a tree branch in his rage. "If you don't turn around now and get me outta this godforsaken forest, Anarchy agents will be swarming that house before you even get there, ready to shoot you an' your little copter down!"

There was a pause before Wufei spoke again. _"You think so, Skyyeks?"_

"I know so." Skyyeks snarled. He heard Wufei sigh then issue an order.

"_Where are you?"_

Smiling, Skyyeks gave him his coordinates from his GPA, then turned and headed for the road.

"So, Trowa, what's so important that you have to get to Wufei before he reaches the Nikols'?" Heero asked, closing the door.

"Why did Wufei order a hit on you?" Quatre asked, throwing a glance at Heero.

"Because I was trying to stop him." Trowa said, defeated. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Heero sighed in frustration. "From doing _what?"_

"Killing her."

"Dammit! Killing _who?"_

Trowa looked around the room, at Duo, at Quatre. Then Heero, whom Relena had loved so much it had broken her heart every day.

"The girl that stole Rellie's files."

Heero's eyes widened, Duo started, and Quatre stepped back. "Why?"

"Because she works for Anarchy. He's just doing his job." Trowa shrugged. He knew this was sounding so strange to them.

"Then why do you care?" Heero's voice cut through the air like ice. _Oh, for so many reasons._

"Because I knew her."

"You what?" Duo shouted.

Trowa weighed his words carefully, trying to figure out how to lie to these people, these trained interrogators. "I…" Lie to Relena, or lie to them, to Quatre? "I…" Who did he love more? "…I"

"You?" Heero prompted malevolently. Trowa's eyes locked on his. How could Relena have loved him as she did? He didn't care about her, he didn't care about anything! He only loved her because he loved to see her break.

Trowa knew who he loved more.

"In the old group I used to work for…" He shot a look a Quatre, who nodded. "She visited once. Back then, she wasn't Memory, her name was Midii. And she was my only friend, the only person who cared enough to help me get out of that nightmare, to find the circus and Catherine." He looked up to Heero, who was watching him guardedly. "I don't know why she's doing what she's doing, but I can't stand to sit here while she waits to die."

"Why didn't you tell us this before, buddy?" Duo cut in, concern written across his face that relieved Trowa tremendously.

"I…I thought you would kill her." He admonished.

"What makes you think we wouldn't?" Heero said coldly. Trowa looked at the other two desperately.

Quatre sneered. "You wouldn't."

"What?" Heero snapped at him. "His girlfriend works for Anarchy, and we're sworn to dispatch of any and all of their operatives!"

"Midii…Memory, she doesn't know what she's doing," Trowa said, a note of plea in his voice. "Heero, you've got to help me. If we can save her, then I'm sure she'll tell us everything she knows!"

Heero regarded him, his truly desperate face, then turned to the others. Duo stepped forward.

"Let's do this, man." Quatre nodded his assent. Heero returned his eerily level gaze to Trowa.

"Alright, Barton. We'll rescue her." Trowa's face cleared, but Heero hadn't finished. "But once we reach her, she's under our custody and still under the death penalty."

Trowa paled slightly at the news, but took it in stride. Once Heero saw it was Relena…

They stood, the four of them, and made they're way to the door. "Wait…"

They turned to Quatre, who was looking around as if he forgot something. "What about Wufei?"

Trowa sneered. "He's dead to us, Quatre. Forget him."

Duo looked up, startled. "But Trowa-"

"Let's go." Heero said, aiming another level look at Trowa. "Your girlfriend is dying."

* * *

Skyyeks was giggling far too much for Wufei's tasted. "I forgot how much I love riding in helicopters!"

"Would you just shut up!"

"Aww, chill out, Wufei. We're about to nail Anarchy's number one fugitive, and your little problem will be gone." Skyyeks chuckled, examining a bazooka that he had found in the cockpit after Wufei picked him up.

"I give the order! You're not going to even touch her." Wufei snarled.

Skyyeks raised his hands in the air. "Geez, okay, okay."

Silence filled the copter again. Wufei's LinK buzzed but was ignored. Skyyeks guessed it was one of Preventer losers.

"Hey, Wufei, whadya tell your Preventer friends?" Skyyeks asked, gazing at Message Waiting button that was blinking on Wolfie's LinK.

Wufei sighed. "I didn't."

"Why not? I'm sure killing one of us is a great accomplishment at Chez Preventer."

Wufei didn't respond this time. Skyyeks straightened in his seat belt. "You are gonna kill her, aren't ya?"

The Asian man only looked solemnly at him. Skyy's temper blazed up again. "What?! That's the whole point of the mission, to kill the girl! You're not telling me you're gonna let her walk."

"I'm turning her in." Wufei growled. "Pilot, we're here, lower altitude." The pilot waved his hand and the helicopter dipped, a mansion with all it's lights lit up glittering below them.

"To the Preventers!" Skyyeks scoffed. "Those aren't my orders, Wolfie, there is no 'Dead or Alive'. Boss-man wants Memory's head on a platter!"

"Yeah, well, tough!" Wufei yelled. "Relena lives, and that's the end of it!"

"Who's Relena?" Skyyeks asked, utterly bewildered, but his voice was lost in the noise as the helicopter began to land.

Wufei jumped out before it even touch the ground, Skyyeks and his bazooka following. "Stop!"

The Asian man ignored him, still thundering towards that huge house. "STOP!" Skyyeks screamed, hefting the bazooka onto his shoulder.

"What?" Wufei said, finally turning and cocking his gun. His eyes bulged when he saw Skyyeks. "No.."

Skyyeks' eyes glittered maliciously. "This bitch dies. Tonight." His finger twitched on the trigger, and Wufei flung himself aside as the bazooka flew past him. He pushed himself up to follow its path.

The noise as the cannon smashed into the front of the house was terrific, the façade instantly exploding into white-hot flames.

"NO!" Wufei screamed, standing and racing towards the house. Skyyeks caught him and started dragging him back.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Wufei?"

But he didn't respond. He could only watch in horror as the house exploded, sending debris flying over his and Skyyeks' head. She was gone, she was dead.

"Mission accomplished." Skyyeks said, laughing as he let Wufei go. "And I couldn't of done it without you."

Wufei let out a roar of anger like Skyyeks had never heard. He could only watch as the man sunk to his knees.

"Whatever, man, she was nothing. Let's go, I can't call Anarchy in all this noise." Skyyeks began to walk towards the waiting helicopter, but Wufei remained where he was.

He had _wanted_ this, he had _wanted_ Memory dead and gone. But not Relena, never Relena. He had never meant to kill her, he only wanted her back to who she was, the Princess_._

He rose wordlessly, contemplating the gun in his hand. His mouth formed a name that he thought he had forgotten and he wished he could say again and it mean something.

But the name was burning as she was burning. And it was _all his fault_**.**

* * *

They got there before the fire trucks did.

By then the fire had died down, having burnt everything to a cinder, except for a stone tower. The frame of the house still stood intact, but it's insides were gone.

Trowa stared through the windshield at the ashes, refusing to believe what he saw. Heero put the truck in park and jumped out.

"What the…"

The rest got out , too. The odor of burnt and dead things assaulted their noses and they covered their mouths with their arms.

"What happed?" Duo coughed.

Trowa, who had made no move to cover his mouth, still gazed at the hollow figure before him, unconsciously walking towards it. "We're too late." _We're too late._

"Tro…" Quatre said softly, approaching him softly. But Trowa ignored him, walking stiffly still, towards the remains of the mansions.

"She's gone." He said to no one in particular, his voice breaking. "She's gone, she's dead, we're too late."

"I'm sorry, man." Duo said.

"Trowa." Quatre called, "Let's go. We can come back later and get her bo-"

"Well," Trowa said over him. "He got what he wanted. He finally killed her."

"Finally?" Heero said, but his voice sounded distant to Trowa. The frame of the damned house loomed ever closer till finally Trowa couldn't stand the smell.

"And now she's gone forever." He said matter-of-factedly, but his own words weren't sinking in. She couldn't be, not her, she was still alive in there, waiting for someone to save her.

He felt someone approach him. Heero touched his shoulder carefully. "We've got to go before the firemen get here, Tro."

"No.."

"I'm sorry about your friend, but-"

"You don't understand." Trowa said, shaking his head. "Don't you get it, Heero? _She's dead_, she's not coming back." His voice cracked and tears ran unbidden down his cheeks. His whole body trembled with the force of his anguish, his loss.

"I know, Trowa."

"No, you don't!" Trowa screamed. "I loved her! And you could never understand that!"

Heero grabbed him by the shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about, but we have to go."

Trowa shoved him away. "Of course you don't." He spat. "You never did. You're the reason she's in there, burning, dying, it's all because of you, Yuy!"

"Trowa, you're not making any sense!" Heero yelled, thoroughly confused and angry. He dragged the unwilling man to the car and all but threw him inside. Trowa glared at him as he revved the engine, Quatre and Duo getting in quietly behind them.

"We can't leave her there." Trowa said.

"She's dead!" Heero snapped.

Trowa shook his head again. "We have to save her, we always save her!"

Heero threw the car into reverse. _"What the hell are you talking about?!"_ He said, but didn't wait for Trowa to answer, dialing Wufei on his LinK.

"Where are you?" He barked into it. Trowa's blood blazed as Wufei's tinny voice buzzed through Heero's earpiece.

Heero's face transformed from a scowl to pure anger. "We're headed back to base now. When we get there, you'd better be waiting in the conference room." He tore the LinK out of his ear and threw it to the floor. "That baka's ass is mine."

"Trowa…" Quatre started.

"I'm fine." Trowa said, gazing at the rear view mirror at the house.

* * *

"Mom, I'm hungry." Kenrik complained. The red headed woman turned to him, blotting her tears as she smiled down at him.

"I'm sorry, baby, but we have to wait here until we know it's safe."

They had been stuck in this tower forever, she and Kenrik. She had sent the rest upstairs, but Kenrik had been rather badly burned and couldn't make it all the way up. And since that bomb had gone off everything had been a chaotic nightmare.

Suddenly banging noises and voices could be heard.

"Hello? Hello?" Kaoree yelled, rushing to the door.

"Hold on, miss, we're gonna get you out." A man's voice came from the other side. Minutes later, they had the door open and were helping Kaoree and Kenrik out.

"Please, sir, the rest of my kids are upstairs. Twins, two redheads, a brunette, and a blonde." She said to one of them, who immediately gathered a few others and started the trek up the tower.

She sat with Kenrik while they treated his burn with rather painful ointment. The poor little boy had been in so much pain, she almost couldn't bear to see him be put through more.

Sometime later, a man tapped her on the shoulder. "Ma'am. We found them upstairs. Your twins, Haydyn, and Cherise."

"Dacoda and Memory?" Kaoree asked, a tendril of fear seeping into her heart.

"No sign of them, ma'am."

After being checked over thoroughly by medics, Lia was finally released while her brother took his turn. She found her mother and big brother as soon as possible.

"What's wrong with his leg, mama?" She asked as Kaoree hefted her up into her lap.

"It got burned. Are your brothers and sister coming?" Lia nodded. "Where are Cody and Memory, Lia?"

The seven-year-old shrugged. "I don't know. Meem said she had to leave and broke one of those awfully big windows on the staircase. And she jumped right out of it, mama! Coda said somethin' to Rissy and jumped out after her."

"They're okay." Kaoree breathed. Lia nodded, bouncing on her lap.

"Mama, let's do that again!"


	12. Stay Tuned For What Happened Next

OK, so this is not the actual chapter. SORRY! It will be out in a few days. No, I was reading through my reviews I saw many state they had lost track of the story. Admittedly, this is a hard story line to follow and you have to read it through VERY CAREFULLY.

So I decided to do y'all a favor. Below are a list of all the characters, a (very) short biography of each, and a line !SPOILERS!SPOILERS!SPOILERS! that will be spoken by that character in the next chapter that I've just written. THE QUOTES NEXT TO THE CHARACTER BIOS ARE LINES THAT THAT PERSON WILL SAY IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. THEY ARE SPOILERS. ANALYZE THEM WELL, YOUNG GRASSHOPPERS.. Also, there's a "Previously on Fighter" section that gives a loose summary of all that's happened.

If this doesn't help you, I don't know what will.

**Fighter**

Genre: Action/Adventure/Angst (slight romance)

Pairings: 1+R, onesided 3+R, 2+H, 4+D

Characters:

_Relena Peacecraft/Memory Nanashi: _Ex-sovereign of the Sanq Kingdom, -Queen of the World, -Vice Foreign Minister. Ran away at 18. Anarchist, not by choice. Quote: "**Are you crazy? The Preventers will shoot you dead before you get to the front desk!"**

_Dacoda Nikols: _Son of executed Blaine Nikols. Oldest of six. Attempted to assassinate Sylvia Noventa-Kashu and son, Alexander III. Ex-convict. Quote: "**I'll see you in hell. I'll see you. 'Cause I'm gonna kill her, okay? I'm gonna get your honor back."**

_Triton Bloom AKA Trowa Barton: _Former Gundam 03 Heavyarms pilot. Preventer. Is in love with Relena. Quote: "**Say it. Tell them you conspired with Anarchy for the blood of Re-!"**

_Heero Yuy: _Former Gundam 01 Wing Zero pilot. Preventer. Blames himself for Relena's disappearance. Dating Sylvia Noventa-Kashu. Quote: "**I trust Trowa. It's his intentions I don't like."**

_Wufei Chang: _Former Gundam 05 Shenlong/Altron pilot. Preventer. Extreme conflicting feelings about Relena, attempted to kill her. Quote:"**It wasn't supposed to go that way, she wasn't supposed to get hurt."**

_Sylvia Noventa-Kashu: _Widow of celebrated army general Alezander Kashu II. Ordered the assassination of Blaine Nikols, forced his family to watch. Son Alezander "Zan" Kashu III. Dating Heero Yuy. (The most hated character in any of my fics) Quote: "**My son has to grow up without his father. I want him to know that those responsible were aptly punished. Shoot him, Wufei."**

_Quatre Winner: _Former Gundam 04 Sandrock pilot. Preventer. Engaged to Dorothy Catalonia. Quote: "**The Nikols family-and Midii, Tro-are still alive."**

_Milliardo Peacecraft AKA Zechs Marquise:_ Brother of Relena. Captain of Preventers and Sylvia's Head of Security. Married to Lucrezia Noin. Daughter Carly Peacecraft. Quote: "**Why, Relena? Why did you put me through this?"**

_Duo Maxwell:_ Former Gundam 02 Deathscythe Hell pilot. Preventer. Engaged to Hilde. Quote: "**Don't thank me, Rellie! Thank Heero!"**

_Skyyeks Kashu:_ Anarchist elite. Alezander III's younger brother. Conspired with Wufei to kill Relena. Quote: "**That would be me. Skyyeks Kashu, Anarchist extraordinaire. Pleased to meet you."**

_Anarchy:_ Organization started in AC 198. Anti-Peacecraft. It's members are elite assassins whose targets are usually world leaders. Is said to be led by one man. Followers are called "Anarchists."

_Zuko Furuya: _Relena's sensei. Anarchist. Murdered by Heero Yuy.

_Kaoree Nikols: _Widow of Blaine Nikols and mother of Dacoda (23), Scheris (16), Heydin (13), Kenrik (9), Lia (7), and Laskan (7).Took Relena in after finding her out in the rain. Quote: "**They're gonna load up the body. We need to make arrangements."**

**Story So Far:**

Fed up with her friends' attitudes and her own helplessness, Relena Peacecraft, 18-year-old Vice Foreign minister, runs away, escaping into the Avian Plains. There she meets a man name Zuko Furuya. Realizing he is a master in the art of defense, Relena asks Furuya to train her. Furuya accepts and Relena pays her fess with her name, something she feels she doesn't need to keep. With her new identity, Relena receives a new name: Memory.

On her twentieth birthday, Furuya presents her with a mission: sneak into the Preventers building and steal top secret files. Though unhappy at the chance of a possible run-in with her old circle, Relena goes to the building and successfully breaks in. She overhears a conversation between Duo and Hilde. After Duo leaves, Relena initiates a fight with Hilde, who is unaware of whom she is fighting. Relena overcomes Hilde, steals her engagement ring, and leaves with the file.

Hilde reports back to Heero, Duo, Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei. It is revealed that the files Relena stole were her own. Furuya discovers this fact when he reads the files. Greatly distraught, for this means he will have to kill his pupil, he sends Relena to the world Alliance Edifice. While she is away, he is killed by Heero Yuy.

Relena breaks into the WAE without a hitch. She almost makes it out unnoticed with her recorder, but is stopped by Trowa, who questions her motives, then laughs when Relena is dumbfounded she is stealing her own files. A fight quickly ensues, but when Relena tries to run away, Trowa grabs and rips her mask, revealing who she is. Trowa is shocked and tries to get her to come with him, but Relena flies into a rage and leaves, threatening to kill him if he ever comes near her. Trowa keeps this hidden from the others until Wufei badgers him, forcing Trowa to tell his secret.

Back at the dojo, Relena finds Furuya dead and faints. When she wakes, she runs out only to run into Trowa and Wufei. Trowa tells her that Heero is coming to burn her house down. Furious with Trowa for revealing her, she nearly shoots him, then takes off on Wufei's motorcycle. Fearing this might happen, the boys put a tracker on the bikes, and are now able to trace her every move.

While escaping, Relena is forced off the road by a black car and is shot in the leg and shoulder before she manages to kill the men inside. She finds the tracker and plants it on one of the dead men in the car, hoping Trowa will find it.

She races back to the house, where Heero corners her in a hallway with a gun to the back of her head. Wufei knocks him out and attempts to capture Relena, but she states that it was he and Trowa that planted the tracker and sent those men to kill her. Wufei reveals that Trowa didn't know, and is knocked unconscious by Relena. Meanwhile, Trowa discovers Relena's tracker and the one that Wufei gave to the Anarchists in the black car. When Heero and Wufei come back from the deserted dojo, Trowa confronts him. Wufei says that it's not the same Rellie and that she deserves to die. He's K.O.ed for the second time.

Walking in the rain by the road, Relena is picked up by Kaoree Nikols, who offers her a free meal and stay at her house. Relena accepts and Kaoree drives her to her house, but unbeknownst to them, they are being followed by an Anarchy agent, who reports Relena's location to Wufei. Trowa learns this and races off to go get her.

At the Nikols' manor, Relena meets Kaoree's oldest son, Dacoda. He tells her about his great father, who was executed under the orders of Sylvia Noventa-Kashu. A conversation between Heero and Trowa reveals that Dacoda tried to assassinate Sylvia because of this.

Wufei, conscious, calls Skyyeks to stall Trowa so he can get to Relena first. Skyyeks engages Trowa in a motorcycle road duel and shoots him in the shoulder. Trowa is shocked; he knows this kid. Skyyeks walks into the forest while Trowa's being carted away in an ambulance, calls Wufei and demands that he pick him up. Wufei, in a copter, does so, then flies towards the Nikols' house.

At the Preventer base, Trowa is trying to get away so he can go save Relena. But his story doesn't check out with Heero, so Trowa makes up the elaborate lie that Relena is Midii Une, a girl that he used to know that he owes a huge debt to. The three remaining Gundam pilots reluctantly agree to accompany him to go save her.

Wufei and Skyy have almost reached the Nikols' when Skyyeks realizes Wufei has no intention of killing "Memory"-whom his boss, Anarchy, wants dead. Livid, Skyyeks makes a snap decision and sends a bazooka cannon into the house, which burst into flames instantaneously and seemingly killing everyone inside. Wufei crumbles under the sudden grief of his actions and heads back to base.

Trowa and the others arrive too late; only the tower that Blaine Nikols built remains. Trowa, overcome with anguish, shouts at Heero, blaming him for Relena's death. To Heero, his words make no sense; he takes him back to base after confirming that Wufei will be waiting there.

Several hours later, firefighter rescued Kaoree and Kenrik out of the tower, which suffer no damage, and go upstairs to get the others. The can only find Scheris, Heydin, Lia, and Laskan. Lia reveals that Memory escaped through one of the windows at the top and Dacoda followed her. Apparently, she is alive after all…

* * *

If that has any mistakes, I'm sorry, it's like one in the morning. There you have it. Fighter!...in not so many words. Should clear up some confusion. 


	13. Take It Back If I Could, But I Won't

**Hey guys, sorry about the delay. My computer died. **

**And I'm just too tired to do reviews. I love you all very much for reviewing my meager little story and you know it.**

**Here we go.**

* * *

"_With all due respect, Mr. Peacecraft, Relena has occupied the Top Box at the last three political debates. Don't you think it is someone else's turn?"_

_Zechs sighed behind his hand so Ms. Noventa couldn't see. "I__** think, **__Miss, that my sister's safety is very valuable to me. And as the largest seat in the House, the Top Box has the adequate amount of space for Relena's security personnel."_

"_But she doesn't need that many bodyguards, anyway! Nobody does! The House is completely safe!"_

"_I'm sorry, Ms. Noventa, you will have to take this up with Heero Yuy," Zechs said sternly to the screen. Sylvia's eyes ignited with anger. He could already feel the migraine pulsing in his temples._

"_No, I will not take it up with Heero! I am going to discuss it with __**you**__, right here, right now! The Top Box is the best seat in the House and Relena does not have a permanent reservation there! I demand that-"_

"_You're in no position to be making demands of the Vice Foreign Minister, __**Senator**__." Zechs snapped. "Now, if you will please hold for a moment, I've got a pressing matter to attend to." And before Noventa could open her mouth, Zechs jammed the suspend button and the feed disappeared momentarily. He waved a hand at the door. "Yes, please come in, Trowa."_

_Trowa peeked around the door again. " I wasn't sure if it was safe."_

_Zechs chuckled. "Sylvia Noventa is…"_

"_Demanding?" Trowa suggested._

"_Ambitious." Zechs corrected, frowning. "She would like to see herself in Relena's spot."_

_Trowa shook his head. "I've never met Miss Relena face-to-face, but-"_

"_Milliardo, I need to talk to you about-oh!"_

_Milliardo glanced around Trowa at the blonde girl that had just appeared. "Speak of the devil," From video feeds, Zechs' words, and the girl's casual attitude around the white-haired man, Trowa knew that Relena Dorlian Peacecraft, former Queen and political darling, was standing at his side._

"_I did not mean to interrupt," Relena apologized, nodding to both men._

_Zechs waved his hand. "Doesn't matter. More time before I have to return to-" His gaze flickered from Relena to the laptop and he shook his head quickly. "Rellie, I don't believe you've met Trowa Barton?"_

"_We've talked." Relena said. "And I conducted quite the search for him when I was fifteen. But all this was before his amnesia so-" She turned to Trowa and extended a hand. "I'm Relena Dorlian. Pleased to meet you, Trowa Barton."_

_Trowa was completely disarmed by Relena's smile. She never smiled like __**that**__ on the feeds. She should do it more often…_

_Trowa shook himself lightly, realizing that Relena still had her hand raised. He took it slowly and shook it._

"_Feeling's mutual, Miss Relena."_

_The girl laughed. "Please don't. It took me a long time to break Quatre of that habit. It's just Relena."_

"_Alright, Relena."_

_Relena smiled again, facing her brother. "Well, I'll just go. I'll talk to you later, Milliardo. It was nice to-"_

"_Actually, Relena," Zechs cut her off. "Trowa is entering the Preventers. Do you think you could show him around?"_

_Relena looked shocked but pleased. "You're joining the Preventers, Trowa?"_

_Trowa nodded, keeping his eyes on Zechs. "So I'm accepted?"_

"_Why wouldn't you be?" Zechs said, leveling a stare at Trowa. Both men looked at Relena, who seemed confused. "You are, after all, a Gundam pilot."_

"_Thank you." Trowa said curtly, following Relena out of the room. Zechs could hear Relena chattering away, broken only by the short response or question from Trowa. So much like her and Heero…except for Trowa's dumbfounded expression when Relena spoke to him. Zechs chuckled. Who was next, Wufei?_

_He tapped a button on the laptop and Sylvia Noventa's furious face filled the screen._

"_Got your 'pressing matters' taken care of?"_

"_Just talk to Yuy." Zechs barked, then slammed the screen into the keyboard. He needed to find those painkillers…_

Zechs hated dealing with Sylvia before she rose to power. It was unbearable now that she had his sister's job.

"No, Sylvia, I have not seen Heero today."

"But he left this morning for work and he's not home yet."

"Maybe he had a mission to complete, I don't know. I look into it for you." Zechs snarled.

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Thanks so much," She terminated the feed.

Zechs sighed and raised his eyes to the heavens. "Why, Relena? Why did you put me through this?" After a pause, his eyes locked on the four men before him. "You owe me, Yuy."

Heero just nodded. "Has Wufei come in yet?" Quatre asked worriedly. He looked a little worse for wear. In fact, they all did, appearing as if they had ran through a fire. Trowa seemed to have tear tracks down his face.

"Yes. He was looking for you." Zechs said slowly. "What happened? Did a bomb go off?"

They ignored him, filing towards the door.

"Trowa." Zechs called. The last man stopped and revolved. "What happened? You all look as though you've been playing with dynamite."

Trowa shook his head. "…Zechs, do you think Relena is dead?"

Zechs, completely taken aback, gaped at Trowa. "What?" When Trowa's expression did not alter, Zechs closed his mouth and nodded. "I think someone got past our defenses and…the Relena I knew wouldn't desert her friends and family."

Something flickered in Trowa's eyes, but it was gone before Zechs could place it. The younger man nodded curtly and made his way out of the room.

_What was that? _Zechs wondered. That fleeting expression, asking about Relena…and he never answered his question.

* * *

"Stop following me around, Dacoda." Memory grumbled. She and the eldest Nikols child had been traipsing through the jungle for half a day now.

"And leave you all alone? No way, Memory. You don't know anything about this forest." Dacoda countered.

Memory threw up her hand. "That's because I have no place to find. I've been following you for the past twenty four hours! Where are we going?"

"Well, we can't go to the city, and you can't go back to our house…what's left of it."

"So…?"

Dacoda sighed, resting on a log. "We're gonna have to hitch a ride to the capitol, call Mom, get things sorted out."

Memory groaned. "We have no food, no shelter, and no guns. Stupid Wufei."

Dacoda looked at her sharply. "What did you say?"

"I said we have nothing left!"

"No, the name."

She grimaced. "Wufei."

"Chang Wufei?" Dacoda asked.

"Uh…" Memory floundered.

Dacoda flew to his feet. "That's the bastard that executed my father!"

Memory's mouth fell open. "Wufei? But why-"

"And he came to finish the job last night." Dacoda raged. "Good thing Papa built the facade to withstand impact, or we'd never made it to the tower."

"Good thing." Memory agreed faintly.

Dacoda stared at her, then grabbed her arm and started dragging her through the forest in the direction of the road.

"Dacoda! What are you doing?"

"We're going to the city to have a few words with the Preventers."

Memory attempted to stop, but Dacoda was simply stronger than she was. "Are you crazy? The Preventer will shoot you dead before you get to the front desk."

Dacoda was silent, so Memory continued. "And besides, I thought you couldn't go into the city," She pointed out as they broke through the foliage. Avian Highway was near deserted.

"That's because the whole damn town has a restraining order on me." Dacoda said darkly. "All the Nikols kids, in fact."

"Why?" Memory asked, but Coda ignored her, instead waving at an indigo SUV on the other side of the road. Keeping hold of Memory, Dacoda made his way across the highway.

"Hey Vesper!" He called. The pretty girl in the driver's seat smiled and waved, stopping the vehicle.

"'Lo, Coda." She said when they reached her. "Whatcha doing hitchhiking?"

"Didn't you see it? Our house burned down."

Vesper looked surprised. "That was what that was? I thought you guys were have a bonfire or something. Goodness, I'm sorry, Cody. Anything I can do?"

"Take us into town?" Dacoda asked hopefully. When Vesper began to shake her head, he barged on. "Look, I know the order, but I'll be really careful. Just take us within a mile of the city, please, V."

Vesper still looked doubtful. "The girl, too?"

"She's with me." Dacoda said firmly, grabbing Memory's waist. Vesper sighed.

"Get in the back."

Once they were seated and Vesper began to drive again, Memory turned to Dacoda.

"Why?" She repeated. He knew what she meant.

"Because," He grimaced. "I tried to play good cop."

"_You, Blaine Nikols, are charged with the murders of General Alezander Kashu, Captain Sora Sebold, and Petty Officer Leon Wiggins. You have been found guilty on all charges. Your penalty is execution," Sylvia Noventa-Kashu paused. "Any last words?"_

_Dacoda couldn't believe it. They were actually going to shoot him. The executioner, a Chinese man, was already cocking his gun._

_Beside him, his mother and sister held each other tightly, crying. Their sobs reached Blaine and he turned to them. He tapped his chest where his heart was and pointed to them. It was all he could do. Then he rounded on Noventa-Kashu. _

"_Don't make them watch."_

_Noventa-Kashu shook her head. "My son has to grow up without his father. I want him to know that those responsible were aptly punished."_

"_Forgive me, Minister," Blaine snarled. "I would never want a child to grow up without his father," The hypocrisy was bitter in Dacoda's mouth._

_Noventa-Kashu's eyes flashed. "Shoot him Wufei."_

_The Chinese man nodded, raising his gun. "No!" Kaoree screamed._

"_Mom," Dacoda said softly, touching her shoulder. She shook him off. _

"_I love you, Blaine!"_

_The man nodded. "Forever." A guard forced him to his knees. Wufei took aim._

_Dacoda felt a tug on his sleeve. "What?"_

"_Is it going to hurt, Coda?"_

_He looked down at Kenrik, then back at his father who was now facing Wufei._

"_Coda?"_

"_Close your eyes, Kenrik."_

_Kenrik obeyed, shutting his lids just as a bang resonated off the walls of the prison._

_Kaoree screamed again in pain and anguish. Haydyn, who had a hand over the twins' eyes, was shaking so hard that he was hurting them. Cody let go of Kenrik, handing him to Cherise. Wufei holstered his gun and looked up at Noventa-Kashu._

"_It's done. My debt to Alez is repayed."_

_Noventa-Kashu nodded, tears streaming down her face. "May he rot it hell." She spat at the prone form on the floor._

_Dacoda's shoulders shook. "You bitch." He whispered. "You have no right to cry. You…" The words could not force themselves past the lump in his throat. His father was dead, killed by a grieving widow. Where was his honor? His dignity? Where was her integrity?_

"_I'll see you in hell, Dad." Dacoda hissed, approaching the body. The bullet hole was neat and clean, right between the eyes. "I'll see you. 'Cause I'm gonna kill her, okay? I'm gonna get your honor back."_

"_Talking to him won't bring him back." A man told him. Dacoda didn't even hear him approach. His messy brown hair obscured half his face so Coda couldn't read his expression, but he didn't like what this guy was saying._

"_And killing him didn't bring back Alezander Kashu." He retorted._

_To his surprise, the guy sighed. "No, it didn't. I don't know why she thought it would." He glanced down at Blaine's lifeless form. "Do with him what you will. She won't care. She just wanted him dead."_

"_Does she always get what she wants?"_

"_Yeah." The man said, running a hand through his hair, revealing deep sapphire eyes. "Sylvia always gets what she thinks should be hers."_

"_And you don't care, do you?" Dacoda sneered. "You don't care that she just had my father killed?"_

_The man's eyes locked on his and Dacoda was shaken by the pure pain they exposed before becoming hidden by that unruly hair again. "I stopped caring a long time ago."_

_Those were his parting words. He nodded curtly at Cody and headed out after the Vice Foreign Minister. _

_Cold fingers wrapped around Dacoda's shoulders. "Cody?" It was his mom._

"_Yeah?" He murmured, grabbing her hand._

_Kaoree's voice was hoarse from crying. "They're gonna load up the b-body for us. We need to make arrangements. For the funeral."_

_Funeral. Right. Dead commander, survived by wife and six children, lived a hero, died a criminal._

_He wondered what Sylvia Noventa-Kashu's eulogy would say._

_And after he killed her, what would his?_

* * *

Wufei tapped an erratic rhythm against the table. Where was Heero? Threaten him and then not show up!

"C'mon, Wolfie, lemme go!" Skyyeks groaned, banging the back of his head on the chair he was strapped to.

"No." Wufei snarled. "I want them see you, see Relena's killer."

"_Who is Relena?" _Skyyeks fumed. Wufei shook his head.

"Nobody. I meant Memory."

Skyy stared at him for a moment, then let loose a bark of laughter. "You're nothin' but a hypocrite!" Wufei turned his head away.

"C'mon, Wufei, tell me you weren't gonna do the same thing to her."

Wufei shook his head vehemently, but doubt unfurled in his mind. Even though he had probably been the least close to her, Relena had been his friend, and he was always in short supply of those. However Relena-Memory-whatever the hell her name was-had become an Anarchist, and in honor of his integrity, he could not simply let her go unpunished.

So he had contacted Skyyeks, his dead best friend's Anarchist brother, told him there was a rogue apprentice loose that had murdered her sensei, and once Skyy relayed that message to the Power, sat back and prepared to let Anarchy do his dirty work.

Wufei was ready to see her dead when he first found out from Trowa. He should've let Heero shoot her. But he couldn't. Even now, he was too weak.

"Nataku, forgive me."

"What was that?" Skyyeks asked. Wufei looked up and shook his head. He hadn't realized he had said that aloud.

"Lunatic. Absolutely bonkers," Skyyeks muttered. Wufei kicked his chair.

"Hey!-oi, who are they?!"

As the four men that had so shocked Skyy walked into the room, Wufei's heart sank. He thought it would only be Heero.

He stood, eyes locking with the green-eyed Preventer. "It wasn't me, Trowa."

"Save it." Trowa spat.

"It wasn't supposed to go that way, she wasn't supposed to get hurt." Wufei pleaded.

Trowa gave an uncharacteristic snort. "That wasn't what you said before. You told me you'd see her dead. Well, congratulations, Wufei. She's gone."

"They're all gone." Quatre interjected. "Wufei, you killed seven other people."

"But I didn't." Wufei argued.

Duo narrowed his eyes. "Then who did?"

"Uh…" came a voice behind Wufei. They all turned. Skyyeks wave his hands as best he could.

"That would be me. Skyyeks Kashu, Anarchist extraordinaire. Pleased to meet you."

* * *

_Relena finally set down her papers, heaving an un-ladylike sigh. _

"_Done?" came Heero's voice as he stepped out of the dark corner of her office. Relena smiled. _

"_Yes, finally. Are you ready to leave, then?"_

_Heero nodded and grabbed Relena's briefcase, walking out of the door. She smirked. He really was ready to go home._

_Heero was waiting for her outside, tapping his foot in impatience. Relena couldn't suppress her grin. "Okay, let's go."_

_He led the way to her car, Relena almost running to keep up with his long strides. "Are we in a hurry?" She asked, amused, as the driver started the car._

"_Just get in." Heero said gruffly, opening the door for her._

_The car ride to her estate was silent and short. Relena was pretty sure her driver was going over the speed limit. __**Why **__was everyone in such a hurry?_

_Relena smiled in pure joy when they pulled into her drive. "Look, Quatre's here." She said, pointing to boy billionaire's signature midnight blue limo. "I hope the others are with him."_

"_Others?"_

"_Oh, you know. Duo… Hilde, Dorothy…Trowa."_

_Heero's eyes darkened. "Trowa?"_

"_I don't understand why you are so mistrustful of him." Relena sniffed._

"_I'm not-"Heero started, staring at her. "It's just-he's always-and I just-"_

"_Are you always this articulate?" Relena said dryly._

_Heero glared. "I trust Trowa. Its Trowa intentions I don't like."_

"_His intentions?" echoed Relena, mystified._

"_Don't tell me you haven't noticed how he-"_

_Relena's door suddenly opened, effectively cutting Heero off._

"_May I help you, Miss Relena?" Pagan asked, extending a hand. She gave Heero one last questioning look before accepting Pagan's help and getting out of the car. She didn't wait for Pagan to open the door, just slammed it open and threw her briefcase on the end table._

_She was about to turn around and apologize when the room suddenly erupted. Lights and candles lit everywhere while people jumped out from behind her couches._

"_SURPRISE!"_

"_Wha-Oh!" Dear Lord, she had forgotten her own 17th birthday. That couldn't be good._

"_Happy Birthday, Princess!" Duo yelled._

"_Thanks, Duo!" She shouted in returned. Duo laughed._

"_Don't thank me, Rellie! Thank him!" He said, making his way over to her while pointing over her shoulder. Relena turned-it was Heero in the doorway._

"_Happy birthday." He told her softly, smiling. She smiled back, then hugged him around the waist._

_His arms settled around her shoulders. "I take it you're happy, then?"_

_She pulled away enough that she could see his face. "Very. Thank you, Heero, so much."_

"_Hey, I helped, too!" Duo said in mock outrage. Relena laughed and let go of Heero. On her tip-toes, she kissed Duo on the cheek. Once she returned to her normal height, Duo looked over her head at Heero. "Ha."_

"_Shut it, Duo." Heero growled. Duo just stuck his tongue out and Relena laughed again._

"_Hey Relena!" Hilde called from the dining room. "Presents!"_

That was the last time she was happy for a long time.

The next day, Sylvia Noventa was made Junior Assistant to the Foreign Minister and Relena's guard detail, including Heero, Duo, and even Trowa, was split between them. Some of them, like Wufei and Quatre, she never really saw again until the day before she disappeared.

Damn that woman.

Apparently, Dacoda had the same sentiments.

"And I'll bet she ordered the hit, too." He vented. After Vesper dropped them off, they walked the mile into the city and were now wandering through the alleyways.

"Do you know where the Preventers building is?"

Cody nodded. "I've been there once or twice."

Relena gaped at him. What had he done that was dangerous enough for the _Preventers_ to arrest him?

Dacoda led her through a few more alleyways before she spoke again.

"You're not seriously going to do this, are you?"

Dacoda glared at her.

"Dacoda, they will kill you!"

"What do you know, anyway?"

"I know Wufei, don't I? He _did_ try to blow me up."

Dacoda stopped. "Why was he trying to kill you?"

"We go back." Relena deadpanned. _Way back._

Dacoda looked like he wanted to know more, but didn't ask. Instead he said, "So maybe this wasn't the best idea," as police sirens wailed off in the distance.

"Why didn't you decide this before we hitched that ride with Vesper? Now we're stuck in this city neither of us should or would be in ever again." Relena shrieked.

Dacoda held up his hands. "Hey, you didn't have to come with me."

"But I did." Relena grumbled. "Let's just get out of here."

They turned to go back but found a police cruiser in their way.

"Cody, I thought you said no one could see us in the alleys." Relena questioned uneasily.

"They can't. It can't be for me."

"…Okay."

But before they could take another step, a loud voice boomed through the alley.

"**Dacoda Nikols and unidentified female, put your hands in the air."**

This was bad. Not only was Dacoda forbidden in any part of the city, but they both looked like they had been through hell; Relena with bullet wounds and unkempt, and Dacoda, who was blackened all over from the smoke in the tower. They looked the part of the hardened criminals the police obviously thought they were.

"But how did they find me?" Dacoda asked desperately, placing his hands on his head. Relena followed suit.

A big-bellied cop got out of the cruiser, carrying what appeared to be a scanner at the department stores she used to go to with Catherine.

When he reached them, the cop yanked down on Dacoda's head, knocking him over.

"Hey!" Relena shouted, stepping forward. The cop laid a hand on his gun.

"I ain't gonna hurt him, missy. Just need to check his tag."

"Tag?" Dacoda and Relena said.

"Yeah. His tag." The cop repeated unhelpfully, bending back the top of Dacoda's ear, revealing a small, tan button the size of her thumbnail.

Relena thought she might hurl. "You put a chip in him! That's…"

"Hey, lady!" The cop was offended. "This guy almost killed Vice Foreign Minister Noventa-Kashu and her son! So don't callin' me any names."

"What?" Relena screeched. "Dacoda-"

"He's telling the truth." Dacoda said flatly. The policeman stuck the scanner over the button and, after a long series of beeps, took it away.

"Yep. You're Cody Nikols, alright."

Coda rolled his eyes. "Clearly."

"Don't you get smart with me, wiseass. You're under arrest."

"Please." Relena began, but the cop cut her off.

"You'd better shut up. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court." He warned while handcuffing Dacoda.

"Why are you arresting her?" Dacoda yelled.

The cop shrugged. "She's helping you out. I'm sure the Preventers would want to question her."

Dacoda and Relena blanched. The cop took advantage of this momentary weakness and handcuffed the girl to Dacoda.

"Yep. They'll be coming for Mr. Nikols here. They'll get you, too-unless you can post bail."

Relena was numb on the ride over to the holding cells. She couldn't let the Preventers get her, she had fought too hard for it to end like this.

But who was left? Who would post her bail, let alone_ believe_ her?

* * *

"An' I don't get what the big deal is anyway." Skyyeks finished. "She was just some chick."

"The big deal is that you killed six civilians, three of which weren't even teenagers!" Quatre exclaimed. Skyyeks just shrugged.

"So?"

Quatre opened his mouth to berate him, but the buzz of his CommLinK interrupted him. He jammed it into his ear and walked out of the room.

"It's still on you." Trowa said to Wufei.

"Yeah, man, why was Skyyeks in the 'copter, anyways?" Duo said.

Wufei glance at Skyyeks, who smiled malevolently back. He was trapped.

"Say it, Wufei." Trowa demanded. "Tell them you conspired with Anarchy for the blood of Re-"

"Shut up!" Wufei barked.

Duo looked confused. "'Re?' I thought you said her name was Midii, Tro."

"Midii?" Wufei asked, bewildered.

"It was-is." Trowa covered. "I mis-"

"'Re?'…Re…Rele…Like your 'Relena', Wufei?" Skyyeks said, looking just as puzzled as the other four.

Everyone froze as her name escaped Skyyek's lips. Trowa and Wufei gaped at one another.

"What?" Heero whispered.

"Heero!" Quatre said, breaking the tension as he ran into the room. "Heero, Dacoda Nikols and a female have been picked up off the street. They're in the holding cells down at the police station."

"Dacoda's in the city?" Heero asked sharply, his eyes on Wufei and Trowa.

"Yeah. But the Nikols family-and Midii, Tro-are alive! The fire report just came in."

Skyyeks groaned. "How many times do we have to kill her, man?"

"Trowa," Wufei said.

"I heard him."

"She's alive."

"I know," Trowa replied calmly, but his shoulders began to shake.

Heero stood. "I'll go get them."

* * *

"_I'm going to need so much therapy when I'm older." Heero said, watching Duo and Hilde play tonsil hockey on the couch opposite of him._

_Relena and Trowa looked over, too. "What?" Relena said. "Haven't you ever…?" she gestured towards the lip-locked couple._

"_No!" Heero nearly yelled. "Have you?"_

"_Of course I have."_

_Trowa laughed. "Really? With who?"_

"_Ian Carlisle, when I was fourteen."_

_Heero surveyed her. "But nobody since then, right?"_

"_No." Relena sighed. "The guy I want to kiss doesn't return the feeling."_

"_Oh, but what boy wouldn't want to kiss the lovely Relena Dorlian?" Trowa teased._

"_Duo." Relena deadpanned. Both boys laughed and chucked their soda cans at the couple making out._

"_Hey! I'm busy here."_

* * *

Relena paced the floor of the cell. "Surely there must be someone!"

"What about your mom and dad?" Dacoda suggested.

Relena shook her head sadly. "Dead."

"Siblings?"

"Brother's estranged."

"Housekeeper or maid or something?"

Relena was about to reject that too, but then stopped, remembering a man at the foot of a staircase with her luggage in his hand.

_I'll come back._

"Pagan."

"Who?" Dacoda asked, but Relena had already raced to the bars and was talking to their guard.

"I'd like to use the phone please."

"Alright. But you can only use it once." The guard advised, handing her a CommLinK.

Relena inputted what she hoped was her home phone number, and fitted the piece of her ear.

_Please pick up, please pick up._

An elderly, familiar voice picked up on the fourth ring. Relena nearly cried.

"Dorlian Estate. Hello? Hello?"

"Pagan, it's me."

**Go ahead. Tell me I'm evil. In your REVIEWS!**


	14. You're The One That Finds Me Out

**Hey guys. What's up? Guess what? I thought I had uploaded this chapter weeks ago. I, apparently, hadn't. Sooo, I came back to re-upload it, annnnndddd….we got a new computer. So I lost the old chapter. Well, not technically. It is still on the old computer, which now rests on my desk in MY room. But this is Microsoft 2007, and my computer is Micro2003, so it wouldn't download the chapter. So I hand-copied it. OUCH! It was 8 pages long with no spaces between paragraphs. And now I am retyping it. The is the freaking chapter from Hell. So you'd better enjoy it. Thanks to the fans who reviewed recently otherwise I never woulda noticed.**

**So as a special treat I'm gonna reply to y'all!**

**BlackAngelBlood: **Aww, I really hope you're back from boot camp! Thank you!

**Dendelion: **Ok, I'm updating. I'm sooooo sorry it took so long. Thank you.

**Kfv: **Thanks so much for saying my story is awesome!

**Aristale Wolf: **YAAAAAYYY! I'm evil, you guys! Thank you!

**Flaming-amber: **Thank you. I'm glad you decided to read it all the way through. I don't know how people who write whole books do it. I have problems keeping everything in my own fics straight! I have, like, notes on everything!

**Kaz: **Such high praise! SO NOT WORTHY!

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**Lolopptt: **Here's the update. So glad you enjoy it.

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**Reignashii: **Weird? Hmmm, that's not good. Hey, I missed you!

**Heaven'sgirl: **It would not be a Fighter review session without you, Reign, or…hey where's Faerex and Isis? BTW: ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

**Theevilashleyness: **Or you! I loved your review!

**You ready for awesomeness?!**

* * *

Trowa didn't think he could take it much longer. Why had Heero been gone so long? Shouldn't he be back already-with Relena? 

His LinK buzzed. Everyone in the room looked up briefly before slipping into anxious misery again. Trowa jammed the device in his ear and prepared to give the person on the other end a firm tongue-lashing.

"_Mr. Barton?"_

The formal title made him bolt out of the chair; the familiar voice sent him hurrying out of the room. Making sure the door was firmly closed, he adjusted the mouthpiece. "Pagan?" he whispered.

"_Sir, are you alone?"_

"I am."

"_Good. Mr. Barton, a week ago you informed me that you had reason to believe that Relena is alive. May I ask why, sir?"_

Trowa tried to work through the formal jargon to what the old man was really asking. "Gut feeling?"

"_Simply that and no more, sir?"_

"Why are you asking me this, Pagan?"

"_A gut feeling of my own, Mr. Barton. I believe you know exactly where Relena is, and where she has been for the last two years."_

"Why?" Trowa asked.

"_Because, Mr. Barton,. I just received a call from Miss Relena to bail her out of the city jail."_

"Pagan-"

"_Can I trust you, sir?"_

"You have to hurry, Pagan, Heero Yuy is on his way to the jail right now!"

"_So it really is her?"_ Pagan's voice seemed to crack.

"Yes."

"_And is_ _she worth saving?"_

Trowa was slightly agape in disbelief. Pagan had always been unconditionally loyal to Relena. "She's always worth it. Please….hurry?"

"_I am pulling into the parking lot at this moment, Mr. Barton. There is no sign of Mr. Yuy's vehicle."_

Trowa thanked God for small favors and hung up, sliding down the wall. He closed his eyes, briefly wondering why Pagan called him to ask permission to save her…

On the other side of the line, Pagan removed his LinK while handing bills with large numbers to an overweight policeman. It required a lot of money to bribe the cops to release a person under the suspicion of the Preventers.

But, as Trowa promised, it was well worth it the moment his little lost angel collapsed in his arms.

* * *

Yuy glared at Dacoda through the bars of his cell. "Where's the girl, Nikols?" 

This had been going on for ten minutes, ever since Heero Yuy arrived to find half of his criminal duo missing. The ping-pong match of quasi-rhetorical questions was an old game for them.

Dacoda grinned. "Shouldn't you question be 'Gee, Cody, why are you here?'" Oh, he was going to have his fun with Heero Yuy. Memory had begged to not tell whoever came for them anything about her, and while he would keep that promise, it wasn't hurting her to play mind games with _Mr. Noventa._

"Where did she go?"

"**I'm here** because one of you men blew up my house, for no apparent reason." Dacoda continued, ignoring the Preventer's question.

Yuy gripped the bars. "Believe it or not, the world does not revolve around you, Dacoda. Wufei bombed your house to kill the girl you are trying so hard to protect."

"And why would Chang be after Memory anyway?" Dacoda snarled. "She kill one of his best friends? He gets so upset when that happens, _I should know._"

"Memory?" Yuy said, brow crinkling. "Trowa said her name was Midii."

Dacoda shrugged. "Memory wasn't her real name, just something her sensei named her."

"Who was her sensei?"

"Dead."

"Who'd she leave with?"

"I dunno, they wouldn't let me say goodbye." Dacoda muttered angrily, punching the cot. "They just dragged her out of the cell."

He could feel Yuy watching him; he turned on him, approaching the bars. "I'm not gonna tell you anything more about Memory, so why don't you load me in you squad pod and take me down to the Preventers'?"

"You're not a priority right now." Yuy said darkly.

Dacoda placed his hand on his heart. "Aw, I'm hurt, Heero."

"Quiet, Nikols. We need to know about the girl."

"I'm not going to tell you anything." Cody said, setting his jaw.

Yuy's eyes gleamed in a way that chilled him to the bone. "That's fine. I'm sure you'll tell Trowa."

"You can't!" Dacoda spat, feeling fear set in for the first time.

"Why not?" Yuy said, motioning for a guard to come and open the cell. "You two got along so well last time."

Shadows flashed across Dacoda's face as the door slid open. "That was torture!"

Yuy grabbed and handcuffed him in one swift motion. "Wrong. That was just a preview."

* * *

Relena crumpled on her bed as soon as she reached it. The duvet was so soft, something she hadn't felt in such a long time. She spread her hands out, etching down feathers underneath the cotton. 

"Miss Relena?"

She sighed into the cloth. "Yes, Pagan?"

"Your shoulder, miss?"

Relena sat up, wincing. "It's a bullet wound. There's one in my leg, too. Could you clean them for me? I'm not strong enough…not right now."

And indeed, she sounded exhausted. Pagan lifted her lightly into a standing position and led her to the bathroom, where she jumped onto the counter, removed her blood-stained sweater, removed the bandages, adjusted her sports bra, and slumped against the mirror, eyes closed.

As Pagan removed the first aid kit from the cabinet, he studied the reflection of the woman. She was much darker, much stronger, than she'd been before, hair lighter, mouth set a little meaner. A scar traced her right cheekbone. A hole gaped in her shoulder; blood was seeping through her sweatpants. Pagan opened the box and cleaning agent, then set to work.

Relena didn't wince. Her moment of weakness seemed to be over. She stared over his shoulder the entire time he cleaned and rewrapped her shoulder. "Your leg, miss?"

"I can do it myself." She said softly, taking the solvent from him. "Please just call me Relena. Or Memory."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You will always be my little Miss Relena to me." Pagan said, smiling. Relena sneered.

"I'm not that girl anymore. I'm no Little Miss Anything, Anybody. I'm nobody, I'm nobody's."

Pagan watched her carefully. Once in her life she had been like this, when her father-God rest his soul-was assassinated. "Total abandonment of hope does not fit you, Miss Relena."

Relena flung the solvent away from her, spattering it across his jacket. "Abandonment didn't fit Relena, you're right. If I have to tell one more person that she's not me, I swear to God…"

Pagan lightly dabbed his lapels with a towel, then squarely faced the blonde. "Well, if you are not Relena, then I do not have to put up with this heinous treatment. I have saved you time and time again and what thanks I receive is a childish, stubborn girl who thinks only of her own misfortune. I will not stand for it. Please remove yourself from Miss Relena's house, immediately."

The muscles around her eyes tightened and for a moment, Pagan feared that he was wrong, that this really was a different girl. Then Relena looked down at her legs.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was low, cracked, scattered across too many emotions. "I'm so sorry. I can't be who you want me to be. What's more, I don't want to try.

"My life was miserable, but I was _just so good_ at faking it. Even you couldn't tell, could you?" She smiled sadly when he shook his head. "The day I left I let myself die. Maybe now I _am_ selfish and self-pitying, but I'll be damned if I ever let myself be hurt like that again."

"Hurt like what?"

Relena's shoulders shook. He could see her lips curve into a bitter smile. "Like what I let them do to me. Be their doll, so _pretty_ and _delicate_ and _easy to manipulate_. 'She has no emotions, she doesn't _feel pain_, she's not _human_.'"

Pagan removed her from the counter. He walked her out of the bathroom and into her old room. She barely made it to the bed before collapsing again. She must have been exhausted and in shock, but still she spoke.

"And _him_. I let him use me as, I don't know, his punching bag. He thought nothing ever hurt me. I thought he was different, I thought he could save me. But he treated me like everyone else, like glass. So pretty, but don't touch because she might _break_."

Pagan tucked her in, tears seeping into the duvet. "You're too strong to break, Miss Relena."

"Can't you see the cracks?" Relena said, choking out a laugh and closing her eyes. "I'm so glad you tried, Pagan, but there's really no way to reach me."

"Still, I am here for you now, Relena, and you are not broken. You are home." Pagan assured her. Relena didn't not respond. She was asleep, the tears not gone from her cheeks. Pagan kissed her forehead, then went to make a call.

* * *

"She wasn't there?" 

Heero nodded to Quatre. "Dacoda says someone came and bailed her out."

"Well, did you ask who it was?"

"The officer who handled the exchange was off duty by the time I got Nikols out."

In the corner of the small room, Trowa clenched his fists in silent celebration. "Where's Dacoda now?"

Heero jerked his head at the door leading to the interrogation room. "In there. I need you to talk to him."

"Why me?"

Heero stared at him. "Guess."

Trowa grimaced. The last time Dacoda had been in that room, Trowa had left him black and blue with multiple scars and missing fingernails. It was not something he was proud of or intended to repeat.

"He's so scared of me he'll probably start talking as soon as I step in." Trowa said, expressing his own hopes. Besides, he and Dacoda were on the same side in this. "By the way, where are Skyyeks and Wufei?"

"They're tied up where we left them. Duo's watching them." Heero replied, almost smiling. "I'm heading over there. Quatre, stay with Trowa in case Nikols pulls something. Tro, I want answers by the time I'm back."

They both nodded to him as he left. Quatre pushed a button and the tinted window that hid Dacoda from view cleared. The man looked scared, though he couldn't even see Trowa.

The taller man turned to Quatre. "I need you to leave."

"What?"

"Just trust me."

Quatre's brow furrowed. "I can't do that. You heard what Heero said."

"You think I can't handle Dacoda?"

"I think he's a dangerous assassin and I don't want you to get hurt!" Quatre yelled. "What is going on with you, Trowa? Lately you've been so reclusive and secretive…"

Trowa could've punched himself. It hadn't occurred to him how his recent actions had affected his best friend. "I'm sorry, Quatre, I truly am. But you have to trust me, you have to leave."

"No." Quatre refused. "Whatever you can say to _Dacoda_, you can say to me."

Trowa looked him in the eys, jaw clenched, then nodded. "Fine. But dammit, you're not going to like it."

Glaring at Quatre one last time, Trowa turned and opened the door. The bright lights of the interrogation room temporarily blinded him. He shook his head. "Quatre, turn off the lights."

The lights dimmed. Dacoda appeared in his line of vision.

"Are you gonna hurt me?"

Trowa glanced at the window, then say down into the chair opposite the older man. "No, I'm not."

Dacoda visibly relaxed, some of his swagger replenishing. "Then what do you want, Trowa?"

"I want you to tell me if Memory was okay when you left her."

"What?" Confusion flickered across Dacoda's features.

"Was she wounded? Did she get any burns from the fire? Is she hurt at all?" Trowa asked rapidly.

Dacoda just shook his head. "How do you know Memory?"

Trowa glanced cautiously over his shoulder. Of course, it was a double window, so he couldn't see Quatre's expression. He wasn't sure he wanted to, either. "We're old friends. I know her as Midii."

"Yeah, Yuy said something like that." Dacoda murmured. He glanced up at Trowa. "Memory told me not to tell anyone anything. What makes you an excpetion?"

"Because now that you're in lock-up, Dacoda, I'm all she's got."

"What about whoever picked her up?"

"It's-ah, complicated. He's old. He can't protect her from Heero and other Preventers."

Dacoda appeared to think it over, finally taking a deep breath. "She's fine. She's got minor burns on the back of her legs. Two bullet wounds in her shoulder and leg. Other bumps and bruises. But otherwise, she's fine. She was running with me in the woods after the-you know. Did my family make it out?"

"Yeah, they're fine. The fire squad got to your tower before the smoke suffocated them. One of your brothers has serious burns, but I think he's in stable condition now."

"They're in the city?"

"No. They're not allowed." Trowa reprimanded him. "You know that. They're at the capitol."

Dacoda sighed. "Thank you."

"No problem. So, she's fine."

"If you know who's she with, why don't you go find her and look for yourself?" Dacoda grumbled.

"I can't." Trowa said. "Who knows who would follow me. Only if she needs me…"

"I understand." And Trowa got the feeling that he really did.

"If you don't know anything, then I don't see why you can't be released." Trowa finally said, standing up.

Dacoda smiled. "Great. Can I go see my brother?"

Trowa was about to respond when his LinK buzzed at his hip. He weighed his options before pressing the answer button and fitting the earpiece in.

* * *

"Maxwell, what are you doing?" Wufei grumbled from his chair. He and Skyyeks were tied, back to back, in two separate chairs, a situation neither of them was happy about. 

The braided man didn't look up from the papers he was rifling through. "Raiding the filing cabinet. You won't believe the stuff you learn about people from these things. Did you know that Trowa's real name is Triton?"

Heero jumped off the table he'd been lounging on. "You're looking in Trowa's files?"

"Well, yeah. He's been acting real shady lately, so I wanted to know a bit more about him." Duo said, still looking at the files. Then he looked up at Heero, eyes wide. "I wonder…"

"What?" Heero asked, following Duo as he walked back over to filing cabinets. Skyyeks and Wufei craned their necks to look.

"Did Trowa ever mention what Midii's last name is?"

Heero's forehead creased. "On the ride over to the Nikols house…I think he said her name was Midii Une."

Duo stopped in front of the U's and grinned at Heero. "Shall we?"

Heero offered a small grin in return, tilting his head towards the drawer. Duo tugged it open with flourish, then began flipping through the tabs.

"AHA!" He screamed after a moment. Everyone in the room jumped. Duo held a file over his head triumphantly. Then he lowered his arm, flipping open the manila folders. "It just occurred to me: she's probably in the computer."

Heero shrugged. Files couldn't always be trusted on computers so the Preventers always kept hard copies around. "We don't want the building to know who we've been looking for."

"What's it say?" Wufei asked from his chair.

Duo didn't answer. His eyes appeared to be scanning one line of type repeatedly.

"Heero, are you sure her name was Midii _Une_?"

"Yes." Heero said tersely. "Why?"

"Because Midii and most of Trowa's former group was handed over to Anarchy a year ago, and he gave the order."

"Gave the order?"

Duo finally faced Heero. "Midii Une's been dead for awhile, Heero. Trowa was lying."

Next to Wufei, Skyyeks began to laugh.

* * *

Quatre stared at Dacoda. "She must really be special." 

"Huh?"

"Midii. To be as important as she is to you and to Trowa. Ever since he found her at Furuya's, he hasn't been the same."

"Furuya. That was her sensei?"

"Yes."

"She said he was dead."

"He was an Anarchist. We took him out. It's our job."

"People aren't jobs, Winner, they're human beings-"

Before Dacoda could begin yelling, Heero burst into the room, gun drawn and pointed at him. "Where's Trowa?"

Quatre and Dacoda remained silent. It was not the first time that either had looked down the barrel of Heero Yuy's gun.

"_Where is he?_ Quatre?"

Quatre slowly revolved in his chair to face Heero. "Obviously, not here."

Heero turned the gun on the blond man. "_Obviously._ Where did he go?"

"I don't know, Heero. Honestly, I don't! He got a call and he left, that's all I know."

Something he said caught Heero's attention. "Was he still on the phone when he left?"

"…Yes, I believe so." Quatre said, realizing he had fallen into a trap. Heero looked satisfied and holstered his gun.

"Thanks, Quatre."

Quatre just glared at him. Now that he knew that Trowa's CommLinK was on, Heero could simply track him on the Preventers' no-boundaries GPS. Quatre was furious with himself for letting it slip, but maybe once Heero caught Trowa-and that girl-all this could be sorted out. Maybe this would be for the best.

* * *

Relena thought she might be dreaming. The bed she was sleeping on was too soft to be her cot at the dojo. And there were sheets. If it was a dream…she didn't want to wake up. 

But someone was shaking her. "Go away, sensei."

Pagan's voice cut through her daydreams. "Someone is here to see you."

Relena sat straight up, then clutched her head. "Who is it?"

A weight rested on the weight of her bed, making her look up. "Trowa?"

He smiled softly and nodded to Pagan, who left the room. "I see you made it home in one piece."

Relena laughed and clambered out from underneath the thick covers to join him at the foot of her bed. "Barely. I'm pretty banged up."

"You look beautiful." Trowa insisted. Relena felt herself color and looked away.

"Sorry for, you know, almost shooting you."

"It's fine. Someone else finished the job." Trowa said, pulling down the collar of his t-shirt. Relena hissed.

"We match. Who _did_ that?"

"I was trying to get to you, at the Nikols' place. Wufei sent someone after me."

"Wufei?" Relena asked, shocked. "Wufei tried to have you killed? Why?" Then she paused, remembering that Wufei also tried to kill her.

"I was trying to protect you. I couldn't."

Relena met Trowa's emerald eyes squarely. "Trowa, you have done so much for me. Keeping my secret, trying to save me-"

"I thought you were dead." Trowa cut her off, looking down at his hands.

"The house?" Relena guessed.

"He blew it up. Well, actually, an Anarchist did, but _he let it happen_. And I tried to stop him, I really did. But I was too late-"

Relena grabbed his hands. "Trowa, stop it. I'm alive, right? And it's thanks to you. So don't beat yourself up over it. Did everyone else make it out alright? Kaoree and the kids?"

Trowa nodded, finally facing her again. Relena brightened. "Then, see? Everything's fine. Stop worrying, you sound like Quatre." Trowa laughed and that seemed to satisfy her. "Now, I'm still all bloody and in these really gross pants. I'm going to shower and change. Stay here, alright?"

"I won't leave." Trowa promised.

After a shower and a change of clothes, Relena felt ten times better. Her old jeans were a little big on her, but that was fine. She threw Kaoree's old clothes in the trash with a sigh, wondering about the Nikols clan, if they were really alright. Kenrik had been so badly burned…

"Relena?"

"Coming." She called, waking out of her reverie. In the sitting room, Trowa was idly flicking through a battered copy of _Twilight_. She grinned at the sight of him sitting on her pink and frilly sofa.

"What?" He asked with a bewildered laugh, making her laugh even harder.

"Come on." She said finally. "Let's see if Pagan still keeps food in this place."

Relena picked up navigating through the gigantic mansion back easily enough and they found the kitchen after only a few wrong turns. After a search through three refrigerators, Relena finally found a pack of grapes and sat down at the table.

"Is this place deserted?" She asked Trowa.

"For the most part. Pagan lives in the apartment over the garage; he can't go in the house. Sometimes Duo or Heero stays here when Hilde or Sylvia kicks them out."

Relena fingered the ring on her necklace. "Sylvia and Heero?"

"They're together. Met at Sylvia's husband's funeral, in fact." Relena made a face at this news.

"I bet a lot's changed."

"That's what happens when you disappear for two years."

They fell silent after that, quietly munching on the grapes. For the first time, Relena felt guilty about deserting her friends.

_It's not like they didn't deserve it…_

"I'll be right back." Trowa said, scooting back from the table and heading in the direction of the downstairs bathroom. Relena watched him go, fighting off the waves of misery that threatened to overwhelm her again. She stood, making her way to the fridge she thought she remembered a dusty soda being in.

"Dammit." She whispered, tugging open the door and seeing empty, icy shelves. She slammed the door, missing the click behind her.

She turned slowly, sensing something off in the room. Blue and violet collided in one catastrophic, shattering moment.

Heero Yuy lowered his gun, shock clearly written across his face. "Relena?"

* * *

**I'm so tired. BTW, Pagan is the shit. In the anime? Heck yeah! You damn well better like this!**

**OH YEAH! Push that little...purple...zzzzzz**


	15. Only As Bright As You Wanted Me To Be

**...I'm sorry?**

**This fanfiction was started in...dear Lord...2005. It was last updated in 2007. Over _two years ago_. If you are still reading this, still hoping for my chapters, you're the most supportive - and forgiving people - I will ever know.**

**I've grown up. I stopped writing for a long time. My style, my diction, it's changed. I hope you won't hate it too much.**

**I've made some changes to the previous chapters. Heydin's name is now spelled Haydyn, Scheris is Cherise (it's the same pronounciation). Relena has now been gone three years, not two. The reasons for her leaving are a bit more fleshed out in the first chapter.**

**I doubt half of you even remember making them, but thanks so much for your reviews. **

**And a final thanks to Angelus Draco who has stuck with my story FOREVER and is the reason I updated.**

***********

She couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't anything but _stay_ here with him, locked in this awful paralysis of the long-forgotten.

* * *

This was not real. It could not be real, because Relena was gone and had been gone and would always been gone. _Thiscouldnotbereal._His gun came reflexively up again. The movement broke the terrible magic of the moment and Relena moved into a solid stance.

* * *

"You're not real," he whispered hoarsely. His words cracked like electricity through the air, or maybe the electricity simply came _from_ him.

"Okay," Relena agreed mindlessly. The silence surged up again, so loud with memories and regrets and _painconfusionwantingwaiting__**why**__? _

* * *

She wasn't thinking properly. She couldn't think straight. There was this boy in front of her and he _looked_ just like her knight in shining armor but he _felt_ just like her worst nightmare.

* * *

He stepped closer. He had to get closer, had to see if she was real. Would she disappear between his fingertips like she always did in his dreams? Another step…

* * *

The barrel of the gun touched her chest lightly as Heero took his last step toward her. An arms length away was too close to him, too close to everything she left behind, that had nearly killed her…

Her hand wrapped around the gun tightly and twisted it out of his grasp before tossing it aside. Immediately, mechanically, Heero reacted, grabbing up her hand and nearly flinging her into the island in the middle of the kitchen. His hand was around her throat before she had time to recover.

But there was no pressure. No intent, no malice. Just Heero and Relena, as it had always been, at the end of the world.

"You can't be real," Heero reasoned. "You died."

As he shook his head, Relena slid away from him. "Clearly not."

He looked up at her words and stared at her. So much he wanted to say, but only one word made it out.

"Why?"

Relena opened her mouth…but the voice that emerged was not hers.

"What are you doing here?"

Heero's head snapped to the right, to the doorway in which Trowa stood. For several seconds all he could do was glance rapidly between Relena and the green-eyed man. Trowa slowly rounded the island, coming to stand behind Relena.

"What are you doing here, Heero?"

"I followed you," Heero finally answered. "You left your LinK on."

Trowa's hand flitted to his waist to wear his CommLinK rested. "Shit!" he cursed, seeing that it was indeed still active. "I'm so sorry, Relena."

"It's fine," she responded automatically. "This is all fine. It's going to be okay-" She forcibly closed her mouth, her teeth making audible _click_. For once in her life, she couldn't find the words to say that would make the situation better, more peaceful. For once, Relena Dorlian Peacecraft was at a loss for words.

Trowa placed a protective hand on Relena's shoulder. Heero's dark blue eyes flitted to it and back to her face.

"Is it, Heero?" Trowa asked, the faintest threat lingering in his voice. "_Is_ everything going to be okay?"

* * *

"I'm really not supposed to be doing this," Quatre said nervously as he led Dacoda through the darkened halls of the Preventer station. Most of the operatives had left for the day, whether on call or off duty.

"But you are anyway," Dacoda finished cheerfully. Quatre threw him a disparaging glance over his shoulder before tapping twice on the door he had stopped in front of.

"I just want to find Trowa."

A man Dacoda vaguely recognized cracked the door. It opened a few more inches when the light slanted over Quatre face.

_Duo Maxwell._ The name clicked into place just as Duo's eyes slid over to Dacoda.

"What the _HELL?!"_

Quatre held up his hand. "Duo, technically he's been released from custody…"

"Great! Now, _get him out_."

Dacoda rolled his eyes. _You try murdering one stupid girl and the whole world thinks you're a terrorist…_

"Duo," Quatre said sternly. "Where did Heero go?"

Duo didn't take his eyes off of Dacoda as he answered. "Don't know, man. He just took off after-" his eyes widened and turned to Quatre's. "Trowa's lying about Midii Une, Kat. She died like, a year ago. So whoever he's after, it's not her."

As Dacoda and Quatre both absorbed this, a voice came from inside the room. "Is that Quatre, Duo? Just let him in."

Feelings of familiarity stirred again, much stronger this time. Dacoda frowned.

"Quatre, man, you alright?"

Dacoda looked at Quatre. The smaller man's whole body seemed to have collapsed in on itself. Never before had Dacoda seen a man look so defeated.

"So he's still lying," Quatre muttered. "So much for best friends."

He sounded so young that Dacoda couldn't help the surge of pity that ran through him. "Look, I'm sure Trowa has a perfectly good reason…"

"Who's that other voice, Maxwell?"

"Braid boy, are you gonna let me go anytime soon? My arms are starting to cramp here!"

Duo whirled around. "Keep your mouth shut, both of you."

Dacoda leaned slightly, craning his neck to see around Duo's turned head. An arm, a shoulder, a face…a face Dacoda would never forget for the rest of his life.

The face of his father's killer.

* * *

She was still waiting for Heero's answer when Pagan found them. Thoroughly unperturbed, he sat them down at the slightly dusty breakfast table in the room off the kitchen and insisted he make them tea.

It was beyond bizarre.

She and Heero could not take their eyes off one another. He hadn't changed very much. A little taller, more muscles, wider shoulders, but his hair was still the unruly mess it had been when she first met him and his mouth was still set in that grim line. Still...

"You're eyes are different," she blurted, the words erupting just as the thought occurred to her.

_You've got an intensity in your eyes that hasn't changed…_

But it was gone now. His eyes were flat and dull. Like all the life and purpose that had once made them the most _alive_ part of Heero had just disappeared.

Trowa and Heero looked completely bewildered. Relena shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Here we are," Pagan came rattling in and Relena breathed a silent sigh of relief.

As the tiny cups in their tiny saucers were set before them, Relena had to fight back a laugh. She, a runaway Princess, sitting down with two of the people she had been running from in the first place, drinking tea in her light blue dining room. It was all _so_ comical and _so_ very terrible.

"What are we going to do?" It slipped out as a whisper. Trowa tensed immediately. Heero shut his eyes.

A moment later he opened them. "We're going to the Preventers."

"What?" Trowa hissed. "You're not serious."

"Absolutely not," Relena protested. "I can't. I won't."

"You mean you're going to keep running?" Heero asked, eyes boring into hers. She was slightly taken back by the sudden burst of intensity.

Trowa snapped, "From you? Why wouldn't she?"

Heero ignored him. "Relena, I finally found you. I'm not going to let you go without a fight."

Relena fists bunched in her lap. "So I have no choice in the matter, is that what you're saying, Heero?"

It was the first time she had spoken his name. Heero visibly flinched.

"Of course you have a choice, Relena," Trowa said firmly. "It's not like he can take you by force."

Heero merely shrugged. "I wouldn't take you by force anyway. But I'm not just going stand by and watch you disappear again. Come to the Preventers with me. Stop running."

"I will not," Relena bit off each word. "Come back anywhere. To anything. I will not be that girl again."

"No one's asking you to," Heero asked calmly. "You can just _be_. As long as it's with me."

Relena gaped. "What makes you think that I would go anywhere with you? You're the reason I left in the first place! _You_ and your pedestal!"

She jumped from her chair and stormed out of the room. She heard a muffled yell from Trowa and a moment later the two men rushed into the hallway after her.

They found her in the living room, standing stock still in front of the mantle. No one had been in this room since she had left; it more so than any other room in the house held distinct personal touches of its owner. Photos of she and her friends lined the mantle, the fine layer of dust unable to hide the faces underneath.

God, would they never stop chasing her?

"Relena…" Heero said, voice as unsure as it had ever been. Her hand floated up to a frame and suddenly she whirled.

Heero barely had time to duck as the frame shot past where his head once was and hit the wall behind him with the resounding tinkle of splintering wood and shattering glass.

"_No!_" Relena shouted. "I never wanted to see you again! Any of you!"

Horrified, she felt tears gather at the corner of her eyes. She reached blindly behind her and grabbed another frame, not even caring where she threw it so long as she didn't have to look at those faces.

"Relena, stop it," Trowa pleaded over the sound of breaking glass. Beside him Heero was silent, dark eyes on Relena only.

She threw frame after frame, faster and faster. Her tears glittered in the air, as bright as the glass shattering all around her. Soon there were no frames left to throw. Relena seemed to slow, gazing silently at the empty mantle.

The two men glanced at one another, unsure of what to do. They had never before seen her in such a state.

Heero took a step forward, wincing when his boot crunched some scattered glass.

"Don't," Relena's voice was low and choked. "Don't try to reach me. I don't want…" she laughed suddenly. "Once upon a time, I would've killed for you to care this much. To hear you say that you would fight for me. And now…I can't handle it. This is too real."

Heero looked startled. "Too real? Relena, I-"

Relena shook her head, half turning towards him. "You never treated me like I was real. I was always some enigma to you, to them. I felt so _alone_." Her voice cracked and Heero took several more steps towards her.

"I will not," Relena's voice stopped him. "I will not feel like that again. It destroyed me. I don't ever want to be that girl again."

"But, Relena," Trowa said softly. "You're not that girl anymore. You're stronger than this. And you're not alone, not ever, not while I'm here."

Relena stared past Heero to him, the sheer magnitude of his words sinking in slowly. He nodded, eyes soft. "I'll stand by you. I promise."

Heero held out his hand, causing Relena to focus on him. "Come with us. Let them know you're alive. Then…I'll let you run, if you want."

Relena stared at his hand, eyes glazed. She couldn't really see it.

She was seeing 17-year-old Hilde in that obnoxiously skimpy bathing suit by the pool, laughing as Duo performed a badly-executed cannonball into the water. She was seeing Dorothy with millions of papers and forms in her arms, completely overwhelmed and still cool as you please. Quatre, playing rock-paper-scissors with her under the table at a board meeting. Now Catherine in her element, lighting up the center ring of the circus. Milliardo and Noin on their wedding day.

She was seeing the last day she saw them together, that awful day at the Preventers. Une's mouth was moving but there was no sound to the memory. Just _she_ and _them_. She had loved them so much that day that her heart had broken. Had they felt the same?

Her hand lifted.

* * *

"Dacoda, no!" Quatre yelled as Dacoda pushed violently against the door. Duo turned with a loud "Whoa, man!" and blocked the way before Dacoda could get any further. Quatre wrapped both hands around the older man's bicep. "Dacoda, calm down _now_."

"No!" Dacoda snarled. "I don't think I will, Quatre. Not until that man is dead!"

Wufei was struggling against his ropes already. "What's up with him?" Skyyeks asked, clearly amused by the enraged Dacoda. Wufei ignored him, trying to dislocate his thumb so his hand would slip through the loops. Skyyeks sighed loudly and grabbed the other man hand in both of his, yanking violently on Wufei's thumb.

Biting back a scream, Wufei worked his hand loose. He looked up to see Duo and Quatre still struggling with Dacoda. He reached his injured hand over to his bound one and popped his thumb back into place.

"Why didn't we just do this earlier?" Skyyeks asked.

"Because they weren't distracted and there wasn't anyone trying to kill me." Wufei muttered, working intently on the knot Duo had skillfully tied.

"There's a knife in my boot," Skyy offered in a bored tone. Wufei glared up at him and felt around the top of the bound man's boots until finding the hilt. Within a minute he was completely free.

He stood and turned towards the scuffle at the door, ignoring the pointed cough from Skyyeks. "Let him go, Quatre."

Quatre glanced at the knife in his hand and nodded, releasing Dacoda. The man shoved Duo away roughly, prepared to rush the Chinese man.

He stopped when he saw the knife. Wufei smiled grimly. If it was a battle of brute strength, no doubt Dacoda would win. But Wufei was nearly untouchable with a weapon in his hands.

Dacoda held up his hands in a peace gesture that made a sharp contrast with the fire burning in his eyes. "Chang Wufei. You don't know how nice it is to see you again."

"I can imagine, Nikols."

Duo, finally recovered from Dacoda's manhandling, leaned against the wall tiredly and drew his gun. "Alright, alright. Wufei, lay down the knife or I'll shoot you. Dacoda, go sit in that corner like a nice boy or I'll shoot _you_. And Skyyeks…" he paused, seeing that Skyyeks was still bound to his chair. "Oh, I might just shoot you for the fun of it."

Wufei and Dacoda obeyed his orders silently. Quatre came in and shut the door behind him before sliding down the length of it to the floor.

And there they stayed. Silent, watching, fatigued. Waiting.

Duo's LinK buzzed to life somewhere in the middle of their terminal quiet. Eyes and gun trained on the greatest threat – Dacoda – he lifted the headpiece to its appropriate place. "Yes?"

He perked up immediately. "Heero, buddy!...yeah, we're in the same place…well…okay, Heero, but-"

He jerked his head away from the LinK and stared at it resentfully. "I hate it when he does that." Three seconds later there was a knock at the door. "That's Heero and Trowa, Quatre, open it."

Quatre tiredly climbed to his feet and twisted the knob, swinging the door open. Heero looked up as the light streamed out. "Quatre."

Quatre didn't respond, just opened the door wider. Heero, however, remained where he stood. Quatre sighed. "What is it this ti-"

A small figure stepped out of the darkness behind Heero. Her lapis lazuli eyes glittered harshly in the light from the room, her mouth curved in the saddest smile Quatre had ever seen, her hands fisted and shaking…

"Quatre," Relena breathed.

* * *

**Don't kill me. I'm rusty.**


End file.
